Citrus Heights Man Indicted for Enticing Minors to Produce Child Pornography

SACRAMENTO, CA—A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today charging James Anthony Demotto Jr., 29, of Citrus Heights, with attempted enticement of minors, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

According to court documents, between January 14, 2013 and January 30, 2013, Demotto attempted to persuade two minor females to engage in illegal sexual activity, that is, production of child pornography. Demotto was arrested on January 31, 2013, and charged with three counts of attempted production of child pornography and three counts of attempted enticement of minors. His next appearance is before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kendall J. Newman on Thursday, February 14, 2013.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Sacramento Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. ICAC is a federally and state-funded task force managed by the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department with agents from federal, state, and local agencies. The Sacramento ICAC investigates online child exploitation crimes, including child pornography, enticement, and sex trafficking. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Reardon is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Demotto faces a statutory penalty of 10 years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a lifetime period of supervised release. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “Resources” tab for information about Internet safety education.