A Lengthy Seaside man has pleaded responsible to a federal cost after authorities say he took a runaway underage lady he met on-line throughout the state border from Arizona and engaged in felony sexual exercise together with her in his condo.
Trevon Nathaniel Langstaff, 33, who was arrested in March, pleaded responsible Friday to at least one depend of touring with intent to have interaction in illicit sexual conduct, in accordance with the U.S. legal professional’s workplace.
Langstaff contacted the lady by a Reddit discussion board for runaways after which drove to Peoria, Ariz. — a suburb of Phoenix — to select her up, in accordance with a plea settlement. He instructed the sufferer, who he knew was 14 years previous, to faux to be 18, in accordance with the settlement.
Her mother and father reported her lacking on March 26, prosecutors mentioned. After reaching out to her buddies for data on her whereabouts, they realized she had instructed them she was planning on operating away.
The lady additionally instructed a good friend she had met a person who helped harbor runaway teenagers and had provided to offer her with a cellphone and room, in accordance with an affidavit filed in March.
On March 27, authorities searched Langstaff’s condo and located the lady hiding in his closet, in accordance with the affidavit. The sufferer instructed authorities she and Langstaff had engaged in sexual actions on the condo, in accordance with the affidavit.
Prosecutors say a picture that appeared to painting two youngsters engaged in sexually express exercise was additionally discovered on Langstaff’s cellphone. A cellphone document search additionally revealed quite a few contacts between the sufferer and Langstaff, in accordance with the affidavit.
The matter was investigated by the FBI and the Lengthy Seaside Police Division.
Langstaff is scheduled for a sentencing listening to on March 7 and faces as much as 30 years in federal jail, prosecutors mentioned.
“Daily, sexual predators use the web’s relative anonymity to prey on susceptible youth,” U.S. Atty. Martin Estrada mentioned in an announcement Friday. “Would-be predators must be conscious that my workplace will use all of its instruments to deliver them to justice, and, as as we speak’s sentence exhibits, the implications might be extreme.”