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Nora R. Dannehy, Acting United States Attorney for the
District of Connecticut, announced that JONATHAN DESROSIER,
29, of Norwich, pleaded guilty today before Senior United
States District Judge Peter C. Dorsey in New Haven to
one count of attempting to use an interstate facility
to transmit information about a minor.
According to documents
filed with the Court and statements made in court, beginning
in September 2007, DESROSIER engaged in numerous Internet
conversations with a person he believed to be a 14-year-old
girl, but who was, in fact, an undercover Milford Police
officer working with the Connecticut Computer Crimes
Task Force and posing as a 14-year-old girl. Through
these Internet conversations, DESROSIER arranged with
the "girl" to meet for the purpose of engaging
in sexual activity.
Law enforcement officers
arrested DESROSIER on the evening of November 16, 2007,
after he arrived at a bowling alley in Milford where
he had previously arranged to meet the "girl."
Judge Dorsey has scheduled sentencing for January 5,
2009, at which time DESROSIER faces a maximum term of
imprisonment of five years and a fine of up to $250,000.
The parties have agreed that DESROSIER should be sentenced
within a federal sentencing guidelines range of 46 to
57 months of imprisonment.
Acting U.S. Attorney Dannehy
noted that this prosecution is part of the U.S. Department
of Justice's Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which
is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and
exploitation.
This case is being investigated
by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Connecticut
Computer Crimes Task Force, which includes federal,
state and local law enforcement agencies, including
the Milford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted
by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah P. Karwan.
The Connecticut Computer
Crimes Task Force was formed in February 2003 to investigate
crimes occurring over the Internet. These crimes include
computer intrusion, Internet fraud, copyright violations,
Internet threats and harassment and on-line crimes against
children. The Task Force also provides computer forensic
review services for participating agencies. The Task
Force is housed in the main FBI office in New Haven,
Connecticut. For more information about the Task Force,
please contact the FBI at 203-777-6311.
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