South Carolina Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Federal Prison for Enticing a Minor

LUBBOCK, Texas — A South Carolina resident, Travis Daron Pitts, 51, was sentenced this morning by Senior U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to 120 months in federal prison, following his guilty plea in November 2017 to one count of enticement and attempted enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas.

Pitts has been in federal custody since his arrest in September 2017.

According to the plea agreement factual resume filed in the case, on August 11, 2017, Pitts, who lived in South Carolina, began communicating with an 11-year old female who lived in the Lubbock, Texas. Pitts and the minor female, Jane Doe communicated over the Internet, using an application that provides a way for individuals to share photos, videos, text messages and make phone calls. The sexually explicit communications between Pitts and Jane Doe took place in the “preteenies” girls only chat room. Jane Doe’s step­mother learned of the communications and notified authorities.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood leverages federal, state and local resources to better investigate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children.  Project Safe Childhood also prioritizes identifying and rescuing victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.  For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab “resources.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas Rangers investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Haag was in charge of the prosecution.

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