FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. — Six men from Missouri and Illinois face federal charges for attempting to engage in sexual activity with minors, according to he U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Illinois.
The cases are the result of an FBI-led operation involving multiple federal and state law enforcement agencies targeting internet users who seek to meet children for sex. All six men have been charged by federal complaint.
The defendants and the charges against them:
- Eric E. Hamilton II, 22, of Maryland Heights is charged with attempted enticement of a minor and traveling across state lines with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
- Godfrey C. Hubbard, 52, of Sorento, Illinois (attempted enticement of a minor)
- Justin Schneider, 33, of Edwardsville, Illinois (attempted enticement of a minor)
- Christopher M. Simmons, 30, of St. Louis (attempted commercial sex trafficking of a child, attempted enticement of a minor and traveling across state lines with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct)
- Michael James Smith, 39, of Barnhart (attempted enticement of a minor)
- James Tiroch, 37, of Florissant (attempted enticement of a minor)
“Children tend to be trusting online and will befriend strangers of any age or gender," FBI-Springfield Special Agent in Charge Sean M. Cox said. "Offenders take advantage of this naivete and target children who openly engage others online or who have a strong social networking presence.
"Parents and guardians are the first line of defense in preventing access to their children. Talk to your children, know what they’re doing online, and if you suspect suspicious activity, don’t hesitate to report it to the FBI.”
All six defendants are accused of using the internet to entice someone under 17 years old to engage in unlawful sexual activity and traveling to a specific location to engage in sexual acts with a minor. Some of the defendants allegedly traveled across state lines and/or offered to pay for sex, leading to additional charges. Several of them allegedly had items with them when they were arrested, including alcohol, sex toys, condoms and candy. No actual minors were harmed during the two-day operation.
If convicted, the defendants each face at least 10 years in prison and could receive as much as life behind bars. Traveling across state lines to have sex with a minor is punishable by up to 30 years in prison. All of the offenses also carry a possible lifetime term of supervised release and fines of up to $250,000.
Pending trial, all six defendants will be held without bond or released on electronic monitoring and other strict conditions, as required by federal law for these offenses.
These cases are part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
