VA Beach Man Gets 10-Yr Sentence for Attempting to Entice Minor

NORFOLK, Va. – In a chilling case of online predator activity, John Francis Aragon, 50, from Virginia Beach, was handed a decade behind bars, with an additional three decades of supervised release for charges of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity.

Aragon, who pleaded guilty on November 21, 2016, set the stage for his dark intentions by posting an advertisement on Craigslist, explicitly seeking “fetish sex with young girl.” An astute detective from the Virginia Beach Police Department responded under cover, posing as a 14-year-old girl. Over time, the conversations between Aragon and the fictitious minor turned increasingly explicit.

The scheme escalated when Aragon, believing he was dealing with a child, began leaving money at a local park in exchange for underwear of the supposed teenager. His delusion led him to arrange a face-to-face meeting, which ended with his arrest on August 16, 2016.

U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael K. Lamonea of ICE HSI Norfolk, and Virginia Beach Police Chief James A. Cervera announced the sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth M. Yusi spearheaded the prosecution.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a federal initiative combatting child sexual exploitation since 2006. For more about this critical effort, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.

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