Traveler Sentenced for Attempting to Have Sex with a Child

Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that Adam Scott Pike, 43, formerly of Rochester, Minnesota, was sentenced on Friday, Feb. 22, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason, to serve 22.5 years in prison, to be followed by a life term of supervised release, for traveling to Alaska with the intent to have sex with a minor, and distribution of child pornography.

According court documents, in early 2017, Pike communicated through a social media application with an individual in Alaska.  During those communications, the Alaska man sent sexually explicit images of a minor, and discussed with Pike the possibility of Pike traveling to Alaska in order to have sex with the minor.

On or about March 2, 2017, the FBI arrested the Alaska man and assumed control of his account.  Conversations between Pike and an undercover FBI Special Agent about Pike’s trip to Alaska continued.  During these communications, Pike sent to the undercover FBI Special Agent two videos of child pornography.  Pike also sent images of himself masturbating that he requested be shown to the minor with who he was going to have sex.  Pike traveled from Minnesota on April 3, 2017.  When Pike arrived in Alaska, he contacted the FBI undercover Special Agent and told the Special Agent to come to a local motel with the minor.  The FBI arrested Pike at the motel.

At sentencing, Judge Gleason noted the harm that Pike’s conduct had on the victims, including the minor with whom he intended to have sex, as well as the victims in the child pornography images he distributed. Judge Gleason stated that the sentence was intended to deter others who might contemplate similar conduct.  “A sentence of this nature,” said Judge Gleason, “is a long and lengthy sentence that can hopefully deter others.”

Judge Gleason also ordered over $45,000 in restitution to be paid by Pike to the victims in this case.  That money is to be used to pay for ongoing and future counseling needs for the victims.  The Court also ordered that Pike reimburse the Violent Crimes Compensation Board for expenses incurred in assisting the victims of this case.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Anchorage Police Department, Crimes Against Children Unit (CACU).  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Reardon prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.  Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices nationwide and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.