FBI sting operation nabs four men charged with attempting to entice minors to engage in sexual activity

ATLANTA – Four men have been charged with attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Rolando Hernandes, Mark Hanna, James Daniel Stinchcomb, and William Sage were arrested separately for attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. 

“During the Thanksgiving holiday our federal and local law enforcement partners remained vigilant in an effort to identify individuals targeting minors online for unlawful sex acts,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Those who attempt to prey on children should know that they face arrest and jail when they seek to exploit the youngest members of our community.”

“The FBI will always be vigilant in pursuing those who choose to prey on our most vulnerable citizens, our children,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “I would like to thank our law enforcement partners and their task force officers as part of the FBI’s Metro Atlanta Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking (MATCH) task force for their commitment to making these arrests.”

According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: between on or about November 19, 2019, through on or about December 6, 2019, the FBI communicated online with several men during undercover operations targeting adults seeking minors for sex. The operation resulted in the arrests of four men: Sage, Hernandes, Hanna, and Stinchcomb.

On November 19, 2019, Sage began communicating online with an undercover agent. Over the next several days, Sage exchanged multiple messages with the agent in an effort to meet for sex with a person he believed to be an 11-year-old girl. During the chats, Sage described the sex acts he intended to do to the child. On November 25, 2019, Sage traveled to Norcross, Georgia, for a planned meeting with the child. FBI agents and Gwinnett County police officers immediately arrested him upon his arrival.

Also on November 19, 2019, Hernandes began communicating online with an undercover agent. Over the next eight days, Hernandes exchanged multiple messages with the agent in an effort to meet for sex with a person he believed to be a 10-year-old girl. Hernandes described the sex acts he intended to do to the child during the chats. On November 27, 2019, Hernandes traveled to Smyrna, Georgia, for a planned meeting with the child. FBI agents and Cobb County police officers immediately arrested him upon his arrival.

On November 22, 2019, Hanna began communicating online with an undercover agent. Over the next several days, Hanna exchanged multiple messages with the agent in an effort to meet for sex with a person he believed to be an 11-year-old girl. Hanna described the sex acts he intended to do to the child during the chats. On December 4, 2019, Hanna traveled to Norcross, Georgia, for a planned meeting with the child. FBI agents and Gwinnett County police officers immediately arrested him upon his arrival.

On November 19, 2019, Stinchcomb began communicating online with an undercover agent. Over the next two-and-a-half weeks, Stinchcomb exchanged dozens of messages with the agent in an effort to meet for sex with a person he believed to be an 11-year-old girl. Stinchcomb followed a similar pattern of describing the sex acts he intended to do to the child during the chats. On December 6, 2019, Stinchcomb, who is a Gwinnett County employee, traveled to Norcross, Georgia, in his county work vehicle for a planned meeting with the child. FBI agents and Gwinnett County police officers immediately arrested him upon his arrival.

Rolando Hernandes, 30, of Mableton, Georgia, was arraigned on December 5, 2019.  Mark Hanna, 29, of Anaheim, California, was arraigned on December 10, 2019.  James Daniel Stinchcomb, 34, of Bethlehem, Georgia will be arraigned later this month.  William Sage, 32, of Sandy Springs, Georgia will be arraigned on December 18, 2019.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating these cases.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laurel Boatright, Theodore S. Hertzberg, and Leanne Marek are prosecuting these cases.

Members of the public are reminded that the indictments only contain charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

These cases are being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.