Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Coercion and Enticement of Minor for Sex

LAS VEGAS—Kristopher Duke, 35, of Las Vegas, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Lloyd D. George to 10 years in federal prison and lifetime supervised release for his guilty plea to coercion and enticement of a minor for sex, announced U.S. Attorney Greg Brower of the District of Nevada.

During June and July 2007, Duke engaged in numerous online conversations of a sexual nature with who he thought was a 13-year-old girl who resided in Los Angeles. The girl was actually an FBI Agent working in an undercover capacity. Duke told the girl that he was a 33 year-old male living in Nevada, and repeatedly engaged the girl in sexual conversations. Duke expressed in graphic terms his desire to meet the girl in person and to engage in sexual activity. During one of the online conversations, Duke and the girl exchanged photographs of each other. Pictures of the girl were actually of a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy taken when she was 13 years old. Duke made arrangements to meet the girl at a Barnes and Nobel bookstore in Woodland Hills, California, on July 28, 2007, and to spend the night with her. On July 28, 2007, Duke was observed by FBI Agents exiting his Las Vegas residence and driving southbound on Interstate15 toward Los Angeles. Duke was arrested about five hours later when he arrived at the bookstore.

During an interview with FBI Agents, Duke admitted that he had communicated online with the girl, and that his intentions were to get to know her a little and to engage in sexual relations with her if she was willing to do so. Child pornography was found on his laptop computer in Los Angeles, as well as on two computers in his house in Las Vegas. Duke was employed as a cameraman with KLAS television in Las Vegas at the time of his arrest.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. Created in February 2006, Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s 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 http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nancy J. Koppe.