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Press Release

Jury Convicts New Haven Man of Enticing a Minor for Sex

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Missouri

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a New Haven, Mo., man has been convicted by a federal jury of attempting to entice or coerce a 14-year-old victim (actually an undercover law enforcement officer) to engage in illicit sex.

 

Jason M. Strubberg, 27, of New Haven, was found guilty on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2016, of one count of attempting to entice or coerce a minor to engage in illicit sexual activity.

 

A detective with the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department posted an undercover online advertisement on Jan. 6, 2016, as part of an investigation to seek out potential sexual predators. Strubberg responded with several e-mails the same day. The decoy provided Strubberg with a phone number and told him she was looking for someone to help with her 14-year-old daughter’s respect issues.

 

Strubberg told the decoy he was a dominant person and agreed to help the decoy with her 14-year-old daughter as long as the decoy would sign a contract giving him permission to do so. Strubberg was sent two images of the decoy’s daughter, who he believed to be 14 years of age. Over the course of the next two days, Strubberg described his plans for sexual conduct, including deviate sexual intercourse with the decoy’s daughter. Strubberg said he would use ropes and other restraints if need be in order to prevent the decoy’s daughter from moving while he engaged in sexual conduct with her.

 

Strubberg sent a contract to the decoy by text message and asked her to print and sign the contract granting him permission to engage in sexual conduct with the decoy’s daughter.

 

After further e-mail correspondence, Strubberg asked the decoy and her daughter to meet in person so that he could spend the day with them engaging in sexual conduct. On Jan. 8, 2016, Strubberg arrived at the meeting place and was arrested.

 

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Jefferson City, Mo., deliberated for just over an hour before returning the guilty verdict to U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes, ending a trial that began Monday, Sept. 19, 2016.

 

Under federal statutes, Strubberg is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

 

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence Miller. It was investigated by the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the FBI and the University of Missouri Police Department.

 

 

Project Safe Childhood

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 Attorneys' 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.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

Updated September 22, 2016

Topic
Project Safe Childhood