Halfmoon Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kevin J. Nugent, age 43, of Halfmoon, New York, pled guilty today to attempting to coerce and entice a minor to engage in criminal sexual conduct with him.  The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and Jodi Cohen, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

As part of his guilty plea, Nugent admitted that in August 2019, he exchanged multiple sexually explicit messages via an online social networking application with an undercover officer posing as a 14-year-old child, in an attempt to coerce and entice the child into having sex with him.  Nugent further admitted that on August 27, 2019, he traveled in order to meet with the child at a location in Albany County.  Nugent was arrested after arriving at the location, and has been in custody since that date.

Sentencing is scheduled for November 27, 2021 in Albany, before United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino.  Nugent faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. 

A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.  Nugent also will have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet J. O’Hanlon as a part of Project Safe Childhood.

Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). 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 to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.