Carlyle Ham, 63, of St. Croix, pleaded guilty Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge George Cannon, Jr. to attempted coercion and enticement for illegal sexual activity involving a minor, according to U.S. Attorney Gretchen C. F. Shappert.
According to the plea agreement filed with the court, in June 2017, law enforcement officers, posing as a 14-year-old male named “Joey,” posted ads online captioned as “Hmu in stx.” Following the posting of the ad, the defendant and law enforcement officers posing as “Joey” began exchanging text messages. The defendant proceeded to send a photo of himself to “Joey,” followed by an invitation to meet. The defendant texted suggestions for illicit sexual activity to “Joey.” who he believed was a 14-year-old male, court records say.
The defendant arranged to meet “Joey” at the movie theater in St. Croix and provided a description of his vehicle. The defendant was subsequently taken into custody by law enforcement officers.
Ham faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date has been set for March 20.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rhonda Williams-Henry.
