Bloomington Man Faces 40 Years in Prison for Child Sex Crimes
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Ibrahim Ghassan Sleyman, 31, of Bloomington, has been sentenced to 480 months in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for his role in a child pornography ring, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
Sleyman was convicted of attempted production and production of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, and enticement of a minor. The investigation revealed that between October 2020 and March 2023, Sleyman used Snapchat and other messaging apps to solicit sexually explicit material and sex acts from minor girls and boys, some as young as nine years old.
According to court documents, Sleyman also groomed and enticed a minor victim to produce child pornography and engage in sexual activity with him by providing the minor with drugs and gifts. Once Sleyman became aware of law enforcement’s investigation, he fled to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), on September 6, 2022.
While Sleyman was a fugitive in the UAE, he continued to use Snapchat to engage in sexually explicit conversations with minors in the United States, and he attempted to obstruct justice by contacting minor victims to influence their actions in the ongoing investigation.
On September 15, 2023, UAE authorities returned Sleyman to the United States, where he was taken into federal custody by the FBI. To date, the United States has identified at least 22 minor victims who Sleyman solicited and used to produce and receive child pornography and attempted to entice to engage in unlawful sexual acts.
On December 14, 2023, Sleyman pleaded guilty to the charges. As a part of his plea, Sleyman admitted to criminal conduct relating to 22 minor victims. U.S. District Court Judge Donovan W. Frank sentenced Sleyman to 40 years in prison, citing the severity of the offenses and Sleyman’s hands-on sexual abuse of the minors.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Elk River Police Department, and the Pleasant Hill, Missouri Police Department, with assistance from the St. Paul Police Department.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the State Department, the Ministries of Justice and Interior of the United Arab Emirates, UAE Interpol, Abu Dhabi Airport Police, and Abu Dhabi International Airport – Airport Security provided significant support and assistance in Sleyman’s extradition from the United Arab Emirates.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary A. Taylor prosecuted the case.
Sleyman’s sentence serves as a reminder of the severe consequences for those who prey on and exploit children for their own twisted desires.
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Related Federal Cases
- Bloomington Man Sentenced to 40 Years for Child Sex Crimes · Minnesota
- Child Pornography Ring Busted: 8 Indicted for Exploiting Minors · Washington
- El Dorado Springs Man Convicted of Child Pornography Ring · Missouri
- Springfield Sex Offender Sentenced to 15 Years for Child Pornography Ring · Missouri
- Saint Paul Psychiatrist Aviel Li Goodman Charged in Child Pornography Case · Minnesota
Key Facts
- State: Minnesota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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