A 33-year-old man from Newport, North Carolina, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for online enticement of a minor.
James Wesley Safrit, of Newport, N.C., was sentenced to 120 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney for the online enticement of a minor, announced William T. Stetzer, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Safrit was also ordered to register as a sex offender and to serve 25 years under court supervision after he is released from prison.
The investigation was led by the FBI, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark T. Odulio, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.
According to court documents and today’s court proceedings, between January 9 and January 21, 2020, Safrit used MeetMe, a social networking application, to engage in multiple communications with an FBI undercover employee posing as a minor.
Court records show that, during these communications, Safrit discussed his interest in engaging in sexual contact with the minor and made arrangements to meet the minor.
Law enforcement arrested Safrit in Matthews, N.C., when he arrived at the agreed-upon location to meet with the person Safrit thought was a 14-year-old boy, for the purpose of engaging in sexual activities.
Safrit pleaded guilty on June 19, 2020, to enticement of a minor using a means and facility of interstate commerce.
In imposing today’s sentence, Judge Whitney noted that ‘this type of criminal conduct is unacceptable and will be punished severely.’
Related Federal Cases
- Pennsylvania Man Sentenced for Online Enticement of Minor · Pennsylvania
- James Edward Moss Jr., Transporting a Minor for Sex, South Carolina 2023 · Hawaii
- James Owen Hagins, Child Pornography Distribution, North Carolina 2024 · Washington
- James Clark, Online Child Exploitation, Bowling Green KY, 2026 · North Carolina
- Clarence Brown Jr., Child Porn Relapse, North Carolina, 2023 · Connecticut
Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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