Modeling Agency Scam Holder Sentenced to 29 Years in Prison for Violating Enticement Laws of Minors (CA Penal Code 288.2)

A Butte County man has lately been sentenced to a whopping 29 years for his part in an online scam.  It seems that this 23-year-old man pretended to be a representative of a modeling agency, asking girls and women, some quite young, to send in racy photos of themselves.  What he decided to actually do with these photographs is even more difficult to stomach, he often used the explicit images to extort these women into performing sex acts in exchange for keeping the photos to himself.  He was originally arrested on many various, yet related, crimes, including:  2 counts of enticement of a minor and 3 counts of attempted production of child pornography.

Arrests for enticement of minors are quite rare.  However, enticing a child is a serious crime in the state of California.  What this term refers to is the enticement of a minor child by luring them to engage in sexual activities, whether privately or for the purpose of creating child pornography.  Often, this is accomplished using the Internet.  “Child enticement” laws include sending or offering ‘harmful material’ to children (CA Penal Code 288.2), arranging a meeting with a child for the purposes of sexual gratification (CA PC 288.4), kidnapping a child (CA PC 207), or hiring a minor for the purpose of sexual conduct of any kind (including child pornography) (CA PC 311.4).

Each of these various offenses relating to the enticement of a child carry severe penalties for those who are convicted.  For example, although the seduction of a child is a misdemeanor, it could mean up to $1,000 in fines and a 6-month term in county jai.  Arranging a meeting with a child for spurious, sexual purposes could land an individual in jail for a period of 1 year and also comes with the possibility of a $5,000 fine.  Kidnapping a child is a wobbler (meaning that prosecutors may choose to treat it as a misdemeanor or as a felony at their discretion) may end in up to 4 years spent in prison and a $10,000 fine.  Finally, employing a minor for any kind of sexual acts could end in 8 years in state prison and a $50,000 fine.