Illinois Man Pleads Guilty to Interstate Sex Offense

BOSTON—An Illinois man was convicted on an interstate sex offense involving a 15-year-old girl.

James Waddell, 34, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Ponsor to inducing travel to engage in illegal sexual activity.

In 2008, Waddell met a 15-year-old girl in western Massachusetts on the Internet through a role-playing game. Waddell later began communicating with the girl by telephone and webcam. By spring 2009, Waddell was encouraging the girl to masturbate on the webcam while he recorded it. In August 2009, Waddell traveled from Illinois to Enfield, Connecticut, to meet the girl and have sex with her. Waddell induced the girl to cross from Massachusetts into Connecticut so that he could take her to a motel room where he had sex with her and recorded it. At the time, the sex was a violation of Connecticutt law because Waddell was 31 and the girl was 15.

Sentencing is scheduled for February 28, 2013. Waddell faces up to 20 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Gregory K. Null, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations; Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Field Division; Colonel Timothy P. Alben, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Chief Robert F. Siano of the Longmeadow Police Department made the announcement today.

It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Ortiz’s Springfield Branch Office.