Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Attempted Transportation of a Minor

A 26-year-old Fort Wayne man has been sentenced to 120 months in prison for his role in a sickening case of child exploitation.

Ryan Steele, 26, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to Attempted Transportation of a Minor, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.

According to court documents, Steele traveled from his home in Indiana to Texas in March 2023 to meet up with a minor female he had been talking to online for five years. Law enforcement discovered his plan and arrested him after he was found attempting to locate the minor.

After his arrest, Steele admitted to traveling to Texas to bring the minor back to Indiana to live with him and engage in sexual activity. He also confessed to having online conversations with the minor since she was approximately 11 years old and being aware that she was a minor.

The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Noble County Sheriff’s Office, the Kendallville Police Department, the Lagrange Police Department, and the LaPorte, Texas Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims.

Steele was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release for his role in this horrific crime. The public must be vigilant in reporting any suspicious activity that may indicate child exploitation.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.