A federal jury has returned a guilty verdict against James Frei, 50, of Union Mills, North Carolina, for child sex abuse offenses in Nashville, Tennessee.
Frei was charged with production and transportation of child pornography, on-line enticement of a minor, and traveling to have sex with a minor, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
The charges stem from an investigation by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD), which began in July 2016 after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a cyber-tip from Facebook regarding an adult male engaging in sexually explicit conversations with a 15-year-old girl living in Nashville.
The minor had met Frei through a teen chat room on Facebook in May 2016 and the two had engaged in sexual activity multiple times, with Frei recording the encounters on his cell phone.
A search warrant served at Frei’s North Carolina home resulted in the seizure and forensic examination of his cell phone, which was found to contain numerous images and videos of him engaging in sex with the minor.
Frei faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced on May 20, 2019. The production of child pornography charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katy Risinger and Christopher Suedekum.
Frei’s conviction is a result of the tireless efforts of law enforcement to protect children from predators like Frei.
Key Facts
- State: Tennessee
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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