Carlsbad Man Arrested for Attempting to Entice Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity

San Diego FBI Special Agent in Charge Keith Slotter announces the arrest of Maurice Cohn, age 50, of Carlsbad, California, on federal charges of attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity.

Cohn was arrested on Friday, September 24, 2010, at approximately 2:45 p.m. at the Sprinter Station at Oceanside Boulevard and Rancho Del Oro, Oceanside, California. Cohn was arrested by Oceanside police detectives and officers.

According to the complaint filed in this matter, beginning on or about September 15, 2010, the Oceanside Police Department initiated an investigation into Cohn, after he initiated contact with a confidential informant (CI) via a MySpace account. The profile on this account depicted a teenage female without an age listed. During the course of the investigation, specifically, the period between September 15, 2010 and September 24, 2010, Cohn solicited the CI to meet him for sex knowing that the CI indicated she was a 16-year-old female.

On the day of the arrest, Cohn arranged to meet the CI at the Sprinter Station at Oceanside Boulevard and Rancho Del Oro in Oceanside, California. Cohn arrived at this location driving a pickup truck. Cohn met with the CI briefly and proceeded to park his vehicle. As he pulled away to park, he observed a police vehicle and immediately attempted to flee in his vehicle until driving up onto the curb, causing his vehicle to stop. Cohn was subsequently arrested by Oceanside Police Detectives and transported to the Oceanside Police Station.

On Monday, 09/27/2010, Cohn was booked into the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC). Cohn is expected to appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge, on Tuesday, September 28, 2010.

This investigation was conducted by the San Diego County Innocence Lost Task Force. The task force consists of the Oceanside Police Department, Escondido Police Department, the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, San Diego Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI. There are 38 Innocent Lost Task Forces and working groups across the country.

The formation of these Task Forces stemmed from the Innocent Lost National Initiative which was implemented in 2003 by the FBI with support from the Department of Justice Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (www.missingkids.com).

Nationally, the Innocence Lost National Initiative has resulted in 571 convictions and the successful location and recovery of 1,038 children. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is handling the prosecution of Cohn.

An arrest itself is not evidence that the defendant committed crimes charged. The defendant is presumed innocent until the government meets its burden in court of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.