ROCHESTER, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Michael Bombard, 23, of Saranac Lake, New York, was charged by criminal complaint with enticement of a minor. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life, and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany H. Lee, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, between August and October 2011, the defendant engaged in sexually explicit messages with a 14-year-old female residing in the Western District of New York through use of the phone and computer. The complaint further alleges that sexually explicit images had been sent by the minor to Bombard.
“This represents the second arrest this week of a defendant who attempted to entice minors online,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “Parents are reminded once again of the importance of monitoring the computer usage of their children. There are many dangers lurking online and our office, along with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, will continue to be vigilant in tracking down these predators and bringing them to justice.”
This 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 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.
The criminal complaint is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Cyber Task Force under the direction of Christopher M. Piehota, Special Agent in Charge.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
