Rochester Man Pleads Guilty To Enticing A Minor

CONTACT:      Barbara Burns
PHONE:         (716) 843-5817
FAX:            (716) 551-3051
 
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that Roger Eric Powell, 48, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to enticement of a minor using a means and facility of interstate commerce before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Wolford. The charge carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany H. Lee, who is handling the case, stated that between January 2014 and January 2015, Powell used the Internet and a cellular telephone to communicate with a female who was under the age of 14 to entice the minor to engage in sexual activity with him. Specifically, the defendant used Facebook messenger to engage in sexually explicit chats with the minor. The communications led to Powell meeting with the minor to engage in sexual activity.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Child Exploitation Task Force which includes the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the Rochester Police Department, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations.

Sentencing is scheduled for October 6, 2015 at 1:30 p.m. before Judge Wolford.