RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today in federal court, Chief United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle sentenced FRANKIE LEE JONES, 34, of Fayetteville, North Carolina to 180 months imprisonment, followed by 15  years of supervised release.

JONES was named in an Indictment filed on July 25, 2018 charging him with multiple counts of coercion and enticement of a minor to produce visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct and to engage in sexual activity.  On July 29, 2019, JONES pled guilty to one count of coercing and enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity. 

Beginning in late 2016 JONES began communicating with a 13 year child through Kik, a mobile messaging and social media application.  The two began an online relationship that extended from internet messaging to texting and speaking on the phone.  Law enforcement recovered nearly 7,000 text messages between the victim and JONES.  The messages between the two revealed a plan to move in together, get married and continue their relationship.  The messages were, at times, sexually explicit in nature.  JONES indicated that he knew the child was 13 but said he loved the child and wanted to marry the child.  JONES frequently asked for sexually explicit photos and videos of the child. 

In March 2017, JONES picked up the child from the Raleigh area and took the child to a hotel in Fayetteville.  During the weekend JONES engaged in sexual activity with the child multiple times and took sexually explicit photographs of the child. 

After the child disclosed the relationship and sexual activity to family members, law enforcement spoke to JONES.  He admitted to sexual activity with the child but denied knowing the child’s true age despite the text messages that showed the contrary. 

This case is part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative, a national program aimed at ensuring that criminals exploiting children are effectively prosecuted by making full use of all available law enforcement resources at every level.  For more information about this important national initiative, go to www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The investigation of this case was conducted by Homeland Security and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Blondel, Charity Wilson and Jake D. Pugh.