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Press Release

Massachusetts Man Sentenced for Travelling Interstate to Engage in Sex with a Minor

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Rhode Island

PROVIDENCE, RI – A Brockton, MA, man was sentenced today to 90 months in federal prison for traveling from Massachusetts into Rhode Island on multiple occasions to engage in illicit sex with a 15-year-old minor he met on the Internet in an online chat forum.

At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also ordered Andy J. Joseph, 26, to serve 10 years supervised release upon completion of his term of incarceration.

Joseph pleaded guilty on April 24, 2018, to two counts of traveling interstate with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.

The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines range of imprisonment in this matter is 63-78 months. As stipulated in a plea agreement filed in this matter, the government and the defendant recommended the Court impose a sentence of 90 months of incarceration.

Joseph’s sentence is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh, and Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves.

At the time of his guilty plea, Joseph admitted to the Court that in June 2016, after meeting the victim in an online chat forum, he traveled from Massachusetts to Rhode Island on multiple occasions to engage in sex acts with the minor victim, and that he caused her to become engaged in commercial sex acts in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.  Joseph posted advertisements for commercial sexual purposes on the website Backpage.com. These ads, paid for by Joseph, contained pictures of the 15 year-old victim and a cell phone number to call for the sexual services. This activity continued until Joseph’s arrest on December 1, 2016.           

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence P. Donnelly.

The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and Pawtucket Police Department.

Contact

Jim Martin
(401) 709-5357

Updated November 14, 2018

Topic
Project Safe Childhood
Press Release Number: 18-149