Rugh James Cline, Child Sex Abuse, Florida 2019

Tampa Attorney Charged with Sexually Abusing Children in Cambodia

Tampa, Florida – In a shocking case, Rugh James Cline, a 40-year-old Florida-licensed attorney, has been charged with five counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place and one count of possessing child exploitation materials. If convicted, Cline faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison for each count of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for possessing child pornography.

According to the indictment, in February 2019 and May 2019, Cline traveled to Cambodia where he paid to sexually abuse four different minors. The indictment also charges Cline with traveling to Cambodia while possessing materials depicting the sexual abuse of children.

Cline will be deported to the United States after he completes serving his prison sentence in Cambodia on local charges. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the U.S. Department of State and the Cambodian National Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.

The indictment charges Cline with the following crimes:

– Engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place (five counts)

– Possessing child exploitation materials

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Cline is currently being held in a Cambodian prison. His extradition to the United States is pending.

Defendant’s Information:

– Name: Rugh James Cline

– Age: 40

– City: Tampa, Florida

– Charges: Engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place (five counts), possessing child exploitation materials

– Date of Charges: February 2019 and May 2019

– Sentence: Up to 30 years in federal prison and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for possessing child pornography

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