Baltimore man found guilty of child exploitation charges
Published 11:53 am Thursday, September 10, 2015
(Special to The Leader)——
A 36-year-old Baltimore, MD man has pleaded guilty to child exploitation charges in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales Thursday.
Ian Christian Anderson pleaded guilty to enticement of a minor today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Zack Hawthorne.
According to information presented in court, in January 2015, Anderson began an on-line relationship with a 14-year-old girl in the Eastern District of Texas. After several weeks of communicating with the victim, Anderson traveled from his home near Baltimore, Md., to the victim’s hometown in Texas, on two separate occasions in February and March 2015. On both trips Anderson engaged in sexual relations with the 14-year-old that constituted felony sexual assault under the laws of the State of Texas. Anderson also used his cellular telephone to send sexually explicit text messages to the victim in which he attempted to persuade her to engage in future similar sexual relations. Anderson was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 7, 2015.
Anderson faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison at sentencing. A sentencing date has not been set.
This case is being prosecuted 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 Department of Justice. 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 better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lumberton Police Department and the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph R. Batte.
