Noe A. Villafuerte, Child Enticement, Georgia 2022

A federal jury in Macon has convicted a Winterville man of attempted online child enticement in a case involving Operation End Game.

Noe A. Villafuerte, 47, of Winterville, Georgia, was found guilty of attempted online enticement of a minor by a federal jury today in Macon federal court.

The 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 Justice Department.

Villafuerte faces a mandatory minimum of ten years up to a maximum term of life imprisonment, a maximum lifetime of supervised release and registration as a sex offender for life. A sentencing date has been scheduled for July 14, 2022.

The conviction was the result of a three-day proactive effort from July 25-27, 2019, centered in Athens, Georgia, to arrest adults communicating with children online and traveling to meet them for the purpose of having sex. An undercover detective posing as a 14-year-old girl placed an ad on an “escort” website known to be used by human traffickers. Villafuerte responded to the ad and began communicating with the undercover agent on July 25, 2019.

“Predators like Villafuerte are just another example of why parents need to be vigilant and aware of their children’s online activity,” said Philip Wislar, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Fortunately, he connected with an undercover detective and not a child. The FBI remains committed to protecting our young citizens and is thankful for the law enforcement partnerships that make it possible to bring child predators to justice.”

The case was investigated by the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the GBI’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit (CEACC), the Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD), the FBI and the Athens-Clarke County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lyndie Freeman and Robert McCullers are prosecuting the case.

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