Former Spring Man Sentenced for Child Enticement and Explosives Convictions

HOUSTON – A 34-year-old man who recently resided in Spring, now of Royse City, has been ordered to federal prison for enticing a minor and the unlawful making of a National Firearms Act weapon, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson. Mark Duesterberg pleaded guilty April 8, 2016.  

Today, U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett sentenced Duesterberg to 120 months of imprisonment on each count to run concurrently. He will also serve a 10-year term of supervised release during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the Internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. 

On May 28, 2015, Duesterberg communicated with an undercover agent, an individual whom he believed was a minor female. In the course of the email and text messages, he persuaded, induced and attempted to entice the female child to have sex with him. He made arrangements to meet the minor female to engage in sexual activity. He was promptly arrested upon his arrival at the agreed upon location. At that time, agents discovered seven pipe bombs within his vehicle.  

The following morning, law enforcement traveled to Duesterberg’s Spring residence and conducted a search of the location. In the garage, they located 25 explosive bombs which he had not received prior permission to make. An expert later determined these were destructive devices and that the explosives within would propel metal, PVC and CPVC fragments at high velocities and in all directions. These explosives could cause property damage and would be capable of causing injury or death to persons near the explosion.  

Additionally, agents found more pipe and pipe caps consistent with the completed pipe bombs, a roll of pyrotechnic fuse, three one-pound containers of gun powder as well as other materials that are consistent with the construction of the pipe bombs in Duesterberg’s truck and home.  

Agents also located a gun safe in which they found An unregistered Romarm, model WASR-10/63, 7.62mm machine gun.  

A search of the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record indicated Duesterberg did not have a registration for the bombs or machine gun.  

He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.  

Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven T. Schammel and Kimberly Leo prosecuted the case.