Ian Michael Cramer, Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity, New York 2023

A New York man has been slammed with a 17-and-a-half-year federal prison sentence after admitting he transported a 15-year-old from Cross Lanes, West Virginia, to Richmond, Virginia, to engage in sexual activity. Ian Michael Cramer, 27, of Amherst, pleaded guilty to transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, a charge that carries a mandatory minimum sentence and lifelong consequences.

Cramer’s crime began in September 2015, when he exploited a mobile app to manipulate and seduce the underage victim. On the evening of September 18, 2015, he drove from Richmond—where he was then living—to Cross Lanes and picked up the teenager. He then transported the minor back across state lines to his apartment, where the two engaged in illegal sexual acts. Authorities moved swiftly, arriving at Cramer’s residence two days later, on September 20, and rescuing the child.

Following his arrest, Cramer admitted to the full extent of his actions, including using digital means to groom the victim. The FBI, working alongside the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia State Police, and New York State Police, led a coordinated investigation that dismantled any attempt at evasion. The multi-agency effort underscores the federal crackdown on predators who exploit technology to target minors.

U.S. Attorney Carol Casto, who oversees the Southern District of West Virginia, emphasized the severity of Cramer’s actions and the message the sentence sends. “My office has made it a priority to work with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and prosecute predators who exploit and abuse minors,” Casto stated. “This prison sentence should send a clear message that there are serious consequences for such behavior.”

U.S. District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. handed down the sentence, which includes 25 years of federal supervised release following Cramer’s prison term. He will be required to register as a sex offender for life, a stipulation that will follow him in every community he enters. The prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston, who has handled numerous high-profile child exploitation cases in the district.

This case is part of an ongoing initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office to combat child sexual exploitation in the Southern District of West Virginia. With predators increasingly using digital platforms to target vulnerable youth, law enforcement is responding with aggressive investigations and stiff penalties. Cramer’s conviction and lengthy sentence reflect the federal government’s zero-tolerance stance on child sexual abuse and transportation crimes.

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