Related Federal Cases
- Matthew Bryan Caniff, Attempted Online Enticement of a Minor, Florida 2024 · Arkansas
- Windell Holton, Attempted Enticement of a Minor, FL 2016 · Alabama
- Nicholaus Tripp, Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet, South Dakota 2018 · South Dakota
- Frederick M Pohl Jr, Attempted Child Enticement, Florida 2019 · Alaska
- Thomas Hill, Enticement of a Minor and Production of Child Pornography, Florida 2020 · Virginia
Lehigh Acres Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Attempted Enticement of a Minor
A 34-year-old man from Lehigh Acres has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for attempting to engage in sexual activity with a minor. Cosme Bejaran was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell after pleading guilty to attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and attempted transfer of obscene matter to a minor.
The crime occurred on May 17 and 18, 2024, when Bejaran communicated online with an undercover law enforcement officer who was posing as a 14-year-old girl. Despite learning of the girl’s age, Bejaran engaged in a sexually explicit conversation and asked the girl for explicit photographs. He also sent an explicit photo of himself to the undercover officer.
Bejaran was apprehended by deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office when he arrived at a residence with the intention of engaging in sexual activity with the girl. He later admitted to deputies and the FBI that his intentions with the girl were sexual.
This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan. The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Bejaran is required to forfeit a cellphone used to facilitate the offense as part of his sentence. The case highlights the importance of online safety and the need for vigilance in protecting children from exploitation.
This article is brought to you by the Grimy Times, a leading source of news and information on crime and justice in the United States.
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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