Fort Campbell Soldier Sentenced to 192 Months for Attempted Online Enticement of a Minor

FRANKFORT, Ky. - A Fort Campbell soldier, Daniel J. Zulawski, was sentenced in federal court on Tuesday, to 192 months in prison, by U.S. District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove, following his conviction for using the internet to attempt to persuade, induce, or entice a minor to engage in sexual activity.            

According to testimony at trial, Zulawski traveled from Lexington to Frankfort after communicating with an undercover officer on the Kik application.  During this communication, they discussed his engaging in sexual relations with the undercover officer and her fictitious 11 and 13 year-old children. Evidence revealed that Zulawski initially responded to a Craigslist ad, posted by the undercover officer, which indicated she was a mother interested in incest.             

Zulawski was indicted in May 2018.  The criminal conduct occurred in January 2018.  He traveled from Lexington, where he was staying for a week of training for the U.S. Army, to Frankfort on January 17, 2018, when he was arrested.  He was convicted during a three-day trial in November of 2019.

Under federal law, Zulawski must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for 20 years. 

Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Ralph A. Gerdes, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Louisville Field Office of the United States Secret Service; and Daniel Cameron, Kentucky Attorney General, jointly made the announcement.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command at Ft. Campbell, and the Kentucky Office of Attorney General’s Cyber Crimes Branch. The United States represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Marye and Will Moynahan. 

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