Richard Jackson White, Nicholas John Engolia, and Dustin Lee Seitz were charged between March 27 and April 28 as a result of a Federal Bureau of Investigation undercover operation involving individuals seeking to engage in illicit sexual conduct with minors, according to a May 5 announcement by U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
The charges stem from efforts to address the growing problem of child sexual exploitation. Authorities say these cases highlight ongoing law enforcement initiatives aimed at protecting minors from online predators.
According to one indictment, Engolia corresponded online with an individual he believed was a fifteen-year-old female between January 28 and March 3. He allegedly attempted to persuade the minor into criminal sexual activity and traveled from Slidell to Covington, Louisiana for this purpose. During this time, Engolia also attempted to transfer obscene material to the person he believed was a minor. He is charged with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor as well as attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor.
A bill of information states that on February 24, White traveled from Mississippi to Louisiana intending to engage in sexual conduct with someone he believed was a fifteen-year-old female. Seitz is accused in another bill of information of traveling from Gulfport, Mississippi, to Mandeville, Louisiana between March 2 and March 4 for similar purposes.
If convicted, Engolia faces ten years up to life imprisonment on one count and up to ten years on another; both Seitz and White face up to thirty years each if found guilty. All three could also face supervised release periods ranging from five years or more, fines up to $250,000 per count, mandatory special assessment fees per count, and possible sex offender registration requirements.
Courcelle said indictments and bills of information are merely charges: “the guilt of each defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.” The case is part of Project Safe Childhood—a Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006 that combines federal resources against child exploitation via the Internet.
