A Philadelphia federal judge on Thursday handed down a harsh sentence to Thomas Traumann, a 53-year-old Wilmington man who intentionally traveled across state lines to engage in a sexual encounter with a minor child.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Traumann was sentenced to eight years and three months in prison and ten years of supervised release by U.S. District Court Judge Gene E.K. Pratter. Traumann was also ordered to pay a $25,000 fine.
The charges against Traumann stem from his attempt in late 2018 to entice a minor into having a sexual relationship with him. On November 3, 2018, Traumann began an online chat on a social media website with a person whom he thought was a 14-year-old girl. In reality, the person he was communicating with was a Special Agent from the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General working in an undercover capacity.
In his communications, Traumann repeatedly acknowledged that the girl was 14 years old and made his intentions clear that he wanted to have a sexual encounter with her days later. He also knew that what he was proposing was against the law, stating in part, “…I am a little concerned … I will go to jail because of your age…”
When Traumann traveled by vehicle to meet up with this purported girl near her house in Pennsylvania on November 5, 2018, he was taken into custody by law enforcement.
“This defendant traveled here from out-of-state and was prepared to sexually assault a young, vulnerable child,” said Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams. “I shudder to think what would have happened had Traumann connected online with an actual child rather than an undercover agent. We are grateful to our federal, state and local partners who work relentlessly to identify and stop all those who would prey upon minor children.”
The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josh A. Davison.
Defendant: Thomas Traumann
Criminal Charges: Interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct
City and State: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Date: November 5, 2018 (arrest), October 2020 (sentencing)
Sentence: Eight years and three months in prison, ten years of supervised release, $25,000 fine
Related Federal Cases
- Bradley Richard Moore, Traveling to Engage in Illicit Sex with Mino… · Washington
- Timothy Koenck, Enticing a Minor to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activ… · Pennsylvania
- Timothy E. Fowler, Attempting to Induce Minor to Engage in Sexual A… · Pennsylvania
- Hank Thomas Fisher, Child Pornography, Pennsylvania 2024 · Pennsylvania
- Robert Hadden, Sexual Abuse of Patients, New York NY, 2023 · New York
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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