A Toledo man has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for attempting to coerce and entice a minor into a sexually related activity.
Gary Matthew Hughes, 36, of Piqua, Ohio, was sentenced to 14 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick, after pleading guilty to coercion or enticement of a minor.
He was also ordered to serve 20 years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $114,000 in restitution.
The case began in September 2023, when Hughes communicated with a purported seven-year-old daughter of an undercover agent. He admitted that his intent was to engage in sexual activity with the girl.
During the investigation, agents also found multiple files of child sexual abuse materials on his personal cellphone.
The case was investigated by the FBI Toledo Field Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tracey Tangeman for the Northern District of Ohio.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department.
Led by U.S. Attorneys Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
To report child sexual abuse, please visit www.cybertipline.org or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Related Federal Cases
- Matthew I. Reif, Sexually Exploiting Minor Boys, Ohio 2023 · Connecticut
- John Francis Aragon, Coercion and Enticement of a Minor, VA 2024 · Texas
- Thomas E. Oberhaus, Coercion and/or Enticement, Ohio 2016 · Alabama
- Larun E. Miller, Enticement of a Minor, Mentor OH, 2023 · Colorado
- Matthew Ungashick, Child Pornography Distribution, Ohio 2024 · Massachusetts
Key Facts
- State: Ohio
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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