Rochester Man Sentenced For 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, who was convicted of enticement of a minor using a means and facility of interstate commerce, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 30 years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Wolford.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany H. Lee, who handled 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 sentencing 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.