Convicted Sex Offender Charged With Illegal Sexual Conduct With A Minor

United States Attorney Laura E. Duffy announced that today a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Norman Felts, a convicted sex offender, with engaging in illegal sexual conduct with a minor while traveling in foreign commerce and for committing this offense while under a legal obligation to register as a sex offender. The defendant was previously charged with a complaint and has been in custody since his arrest on June 11, 2013.

The charging document alleges that, between December 2008 and January 11, 2013, Felts, a citizen of the United States, traveled to Mexico and engaged in illicit sexual conduct with a person under the age of 18, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(c). During that time period, Felts was required by federal and California state law to register as a sex offender. The superseding indictment also alleges that, on May 28, 2013, Felts possessed a hard drive that contained visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. 2522(a)(4)(B), and transported images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. 2522(a)(1).

As to these charges, the superseding indictment alleges that Felts was previously convicted of oral copulation under Cal. Penal Code 288A in 1972, child molestation under Georgia law in 1977, and procurement of a child under the age of 16 for lewd or lascivious acts under Cal. Penal Code 266j.

The defendant is next scheduled to be in court on August 8, 2013, before Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo. The public is reminded that an indictment itself is not evidence that the defendant committed the crimes charged. The defendant is presumed innocent until the Government meets its burden in court of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case stems from an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.

This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood and ICE's Operation Predator. Both are nationwide initiatives to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources." For more information about on Operation Predator, please visit www.ice.gov.

Anyone with information relating to the charges against this defendant is urged to call (619) 744-4623 and leave a confidential message, which will be returned by special agents investigating this case.

DEFENDANT	Case Number: 13CR2296-CAB
Norman Felts	In Custody
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Count 1 18 U.S.C. 2423(c) Engaging in Illicit Sexual Conduct in a Foreign Place Maximum penalties: 30 years’ imprisonment Count 2 18 U.S.C. 2260A Penalties for Registered Sex Offenders Maximum penalties: 10 years’ imprisonment Count 3 18 U.S.C. 2522(a)(1) and (b)(1) Transportation of Images of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct Maximum penalties: 15 years imprisonment minimum, 40 year maximum Count 4 18 U.S.C. 2522(a)(2)(b) and (b)(2) Possession of Matters Containing Images of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct Maximum penalties: 10 years’ imprisonment minimum, 30 year maximum Count 5 18 U.S.C. 1001 False Statement to a Federal Officer Maximum penalties: 8 years’ imprisonment
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations Customs and Border Protection
An indictment itself is not evidence that the defendant committed the crimes charged. The defendant is presumed innocent until the Government meets its burden in court of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.