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Transporting a Minor Lands Georgia Man Behind Bars
A disturbing case of child exploitation has come to light in Maryland, where a 67-year-old Georgia man has pleaded guilty to transporting a minor for illegal sexual activity.
Mack Gordon Harris Sr. of Social Circle, Ga., was indicted by a federal grand jury in Richmond, Va., on July 21, 2009. According to court documents, Harris began communicating with a 15-year-old Maryland girl through a Christian online chat room in June 2005. Over the next few months, Harris engaged in explicit conversations with the girl, suggesting they engage in sexual intercourse, exposing himself on a computer webcam, and urging her to send naked pictures.
As the relationship progressed, Harris eventually visited the girl in Maryland after she turned 16, which is the age of consent in Maryland. Harris admitted that they engaged in sexual intercourse on several occasions during his visit and after the girl’s sixteenth birthday.
However, Harris’ actions did not stop there. He and the girl decided that he would take her to live with him in Georgia. Harris instructed the girl to pack her belongings and leave farewell notes for her family. He then picked her up in Maryland in December 2005 and began driving her to his home in Georgia.
During their journey, Harris told the girl that she was not to speak with anybody while traveling, but if asked her age, she should respond that she was 25. The pair stopped overnight at a hotel in Skippers, Va., where the age of consent is 18, and engaged in sexual intercourse.
Harris faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and a lifetime of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for February 24, 2010.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Barak Cohen of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth C. Wu of the Eastern District of Virginia. The case is being investigated by U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Harris’ actions are a stark reminder of the dangers of online predators and the importance of protecting our children from exploitation.
Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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