California man sentenced to 120 months for attempted online enticement of a minor
FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) – A 31-year-old California man was sentenced to 120 months in prison Thursday, by U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove, after previously being convicted by a federal jury of attempted online enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity.
In May 2020, the jury reached its verdict on Michael John Davidson after approximately one hour of deliberations, following a day and a half trial.
According to testimony at trial, on February 20, 2019, Davidson contacted an individual, who self-identified as a 15-year-old female living in Franklin County, Kentucky, using the KiK messenger internet application on his cellular telephone.
The person Davidson contacted was, in reality, an investigator with the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General’s Cyber Crimes Branch.
From February 20-22, 2019, a conversation between Davidson and the investigator took place on the KiK messenger. Eventually, Davidson turned the conversation to sexual activity, and transmitted several images of himself.
The conversation between the Davidson and the investigator resulted in a planned meeting for sex, on February 22, 2019 when he drove from Jamestown, Kentucky, to Frankfort, in order to meet the investigator and engage in criminal sexual activity.
When the Davidson arrived at the agreed-upon meeting place, he was arrested by law enforcement.
Under federal law, Davidson must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 20 years, following his release. In addition to the prison sentence, Davidson was also ordered to pay $5,100 in special assessments.
“The importance of the law enforcement efforts to protect children from online sexual predators cannot be overstated,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “The defendant used the internet to knowingly plan to have sex with someone he believed was a 15 year old girl. Fortunately, because of the excellent work of law enforcement, he was identified and arrested. His federal prison sentence is deserved, and serves as a warning for those who would engage in similar conduct.”
“Investigators with our Cyber Crimes Unit work to stay one step ahead of cyber predators who target children,” said Attorney General Cameron. “As children spend more time online during the pandemic, these efforts and partnerships with law enforcement are more important than ever. I appreciate the work of our Department of Criminal Investigations, U.S. Attorney Duncan, and the Louisville Field Division of the U.S. Secret Service in this case.“
Robert M. Duncan Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Ralph Gerds, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service Louisville Field Division; and Daniel Cameron, Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, jointly announced the sentencing.
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