1 June – LAWFUEL – The Law News Network – Marcos Daniel Jiménez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Jesus Torres, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and Ken Mascara, Sheriff, St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, announced today that on May 12, 2005, a federal grand jury sitting in Ft. Pierce, Florida, returned an Indictment charging California resident Adam Statland with two counts of travel with intent to engage in a sexual act with a juvenile, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(b), and one count of using a facility of interstate commerce, that is, the America On-Line Internet service, to attempt to persuade, induce, or entice a minor to engage in a sexual activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2422(b). If convicted on the travel counts, Statland faces a maximum statutory penalty of thirty years imprisonment. If convicted on the use of the Internet count, Statland faces a minimum statutory penalty of 5 years imprisonment up to a maximum of thirty years imprisonment
Statland was arrested on May 6, 2005, in Southern California, after law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Statland’s residence and seized several computers. Statland made his initial appearance and bond hearing in Southern California on May 11, 2005, at which time he was ordered detained pending his removal to the Southern District of Florida. He appeared in federal court today in Ft. Pierce for arraignment and pled not guilty.
According to the documents filed in this case, this prosecution resulted from a complaint by the mother of a sixteen year old female, after discovering that her daughter had met an adult on the Internet who lived in California. The mother advised law enforcement that the adult, subsequently identified as Statland, had flown to the Southern District of Florida and had a sexual encounter with the juvenile.
Mr. Jiménez commended the investigative efforts of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Corey Steinberg.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on .
