MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO CROSSING STATE LINES TO HAVE SEX WITH A MINOR

BUFFALO, N.Y.-- Timothy Dean Peterson, 46, of Bradford, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty before Chief United States District Judge Richard J. Arcara, to interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, U.S. Attorney Terrance P. Flynn of the Western District of New York announced today.  The charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr., who handled the case, stated that the defendant began communicating online with a 14 year-old minor through a Yahoo internet instant messaging account.  During the course of their online communications, it was eventually agreed that Peterson  would travel from Pennsylvania to New York in order to meet the child.  Early on the morning of February 28, 2007, defendant traveled to New York and met with the minor victim before school.  After picking the child up at a pre-arranged meeting place, the defendant had illicit sexual contact with the minor in his car, before dropping the minor off at school prior to "opening bell."

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood.  In February 2006, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The plea was the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Laurie J. Bennett, Special Agent-in-Charge; New York State Police, Olean Division, Investigators Gabrielle Kyser and David Elliott; as well as the Bradford, Pennsylvania Police Department, under the direction of Chief Roger Sager.

Sentencing is scheduled for October 3, 2007, at 12:30 p.m.EST, in Buffalo, N.Y., in front of Chief Judge Arcara.

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