Michael Lee Stewart, 35, of Mahomet, Illinois, appeared in U.S. District Court in Boise today on charges of attempted enticement and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor, announced Wendy J. Olson, U.S. Attorney for the District of Idaho.

The government's complaint against Stewart alleges that between November 10, 2010, and March 2011, Stewart attempted to persuade a 15-year-old Idaho girl to engage in sexual activity for which a person can be criminally charged. Stewart is charged with sending numerous text messages over the Internet and by cellular telephone to the girl, including an image of an adult male's genitals and video depicting an adult male masturbating. Stewart is also alleged to have made travel arrangements for the girl to travel from Idaho to Illinois to stay with him, and arranged a hotel room in Indianapolis for that purpose. Stewart was arrested at the Indianapolis airport on March 3, while waiting for the girl to de-plane.

On the charge of attempted enticement, Stewart faces from ten years to life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and five years to lifetime supervised release. The charge of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor is punishable by up to ten years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years supervised release.

The case is being investigated by the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), United States Postal Inspection Service, Boise Police Department, and Idaho Sex Offender Watch Task Force, in conjunction with U.S. Attorney's Offices for the Southern District of Indiana and the Central District of Illinois.

A complaint is only an allegation of criminal conduct and is not evidence of guilt. A person is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.