Scranton Man Charged With Attempt To Entice A Minor Via The Internet

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, announced that a felony Criminal Information charging Hugo Perez Banda, age 27, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was filed today in the United States District Court in Scranton.
 
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, Perez was charged with allegedly attempting to entice a minor to engage in an unlawful sexual act by use of the internet during January 2014.

The government filed a plea agreement with the defendant which is subject to approval by the Court.

The offense call for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, a maximum sentence of up to life and a $250,000 fine.

The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Scranton, Pennsylvania Police Department. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Todd K. Hinkley.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

A sentence following a finding of guilty is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.