Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that CLINT EDWARDS was sentenced on November 30, 2018, to 20 years in prison for enticing a child to engage in illegal sexual activity.  EDWARDS pled guilty on July 2, 2018, before United States District Judge Cathy Seibel, who also imposed the sentence.

According to the Superseding Information, Complaint, and other documents filed in the case to which EDWARDS pled, as well as statements made during the plea proceeding:

In May and June of 2017, EDWARDS used social media and texting applications on his iPhone to entice a 14-year-old minor (the “Victim”) to engage in sexual activity with him.  During their text message conversations, EDWARDS solicited sexually explicit photos and videos from the Victim, and sent the Victim a video of himself engaged in sexual activity.  Despite knowing that the Victim was 14 years old, EDWARDS arranged to meet the Victim in order to have sex.

On June 6, 2017, EDWARDS met the Victim at her apartment building and engaged in sexual activity with her in the building’s basement.  EDWARDS used his iPhone to film a portion of his sexual activity with the Victim.  The basement’s surveillance cameras captured EDWARDS’s sexual conduct with the Victim, as well as his use of a smartphone to film a portion of that conduct.  EDWARDS later traveled with the Victim to his residence in New Windsor, New York, where EDWARDS continued to engage in sexual conduct with the Victim over the course of several days.

On June 13, 2017, law enforcement recovered the Victim from EDWARDS’s residence.  EDWARDS had entered a backyard area of his home shortly before law enforcement arrived, and he fled upon observing law enforcement’s presence.  EDWARDS was arrested on June 16, 2017.

*                *                *

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  He thanked the Portchester Police Department and the New Windsor Police Department for their assistance throughout the investigation.

Any individuals who believe they have information concerning the exploitation of children may contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 1-212-384-1000 or https://tips.fbi.gov/.

This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division.  Assistant United States Attorney Gillian Grossman is in charge of the prosecution.