Severn Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Illegal Sexual Activity

Greenbelt, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman today sentenced Carey Lee Sackmann, age 62, of Severn, Maryland, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by seven years of supervised release, for coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity, related to his online sexual exploitation of multiple minor victims overseas.  Judge Boardman also ordered that, as detailed in his plea agreement, Sackmann must pay a total of $50,000 in restitution, to be divided between the victims of his offense.  In addition, upon his release from prison, Sackmann must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”). 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryeshia Holley of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) Baltimore.

According to his guilty plea, beginning no later than 2015, Sackmann engaged in video chats with facilitators in the Philippines and Madagascar who sexually exploited minor children in exchange for payment.  Sackmann paid facilitators to produce sexually explicit videos of minor children and to see livestream videos of minor children performing sexual acts with adults, other children, or alone, and on more than one occasion took screen captures of the livestreams.

On September 24, 2020, FBI agents executed a search warrant on Sackmann’s residence and seized several electronic devices.  Forensic examinations completed on several of the devices revealed that Sackmann’s internet activity consisted of multiple visits to livestream pornography websites and online money remitters, and his devices contained approximately 15 images and 1 video of suspected child pornography.  Sackmann’s phone and other accounts also contained numerous chats about child pornography production.

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 Attorney’s 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 individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.  For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.   

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and HSI for their work in the investigation and thanked the Philippine National Police for its assistance  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam K. Ake and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joyce King, who prosecuted the federal case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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