Thirty-Year-Old Mississippi Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Transfer Obscene Material to a Minor

Published 4:57 pm Thursday, November 17, 2022

According to court documents, DEFIORE was an adult male who was released from a federal correctional institution upon completion of his judicially imposed sentence in an unrelated matter on August 19, 2022.  Days after his release, DEFIORE acquired a cellular phone and posted that he desired a really young girl on a social media application.   Law enforcement authorities with the FBI saw the post and, acting in an undercover capacity by pretending to be a fourteen-year-old female (“Minor”), began corresponding with DEFIORE.  During the correspondence, occurring on August 24 and 25, 2022, DEFIORE provided additional details about himself, including his age, location, and recent release from prison.  He also engaged in a sexually charged conversation with Minor, during which he sent a self-taken picture of his erect penis.  DEFIORE also expressed interest in meeting Minor for the purposes of engaging in sexual activity with her at her location in Slidell, Louisiana. DEFIORE also told Minor that he was attempting to obtain transportation   to Slidell, Louisiana (where he believed Minor to be located) and provided Minor with directions to his location. Additionally, DEFIORE encouraged Minor to obtain transportation to his location so they could engage in sexual activity.

DEFIORE faces up to ten years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three years of supervised release after imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.  DEFIORE may also be required to register as a sex offender.  Sentencing before Judge Vance has been scheduled for February 15, 2022 .

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.  For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”