A Georgia man was convicted of attempted online child enticement, according to a March 30 news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Noe A. Villafuerte, 47, of Winterville, was convicted of trying to seduce a minor online by federal jury as part of Operation End Game, a three-day operation that took place in July of 2019 in Athens, Ga., aimed at arresting adults who talked to minors about having sexual relations.
“This predator was willing to victimize what he thought was a 14-year-old child; fortunately, he ran into the arms of law enforcement instead," Attorney Peter Leary said. "Operation Endgame was a highly successful law enforcement effort to protect children involving local, state and federal agencies collaborating through Georgia’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.”
During the operation, a detective pretended to be a 14-year-old girl and spoke with the defendant, according to the news release. Villafuerte reportedly offered money in exchange for sex. At that time, the detective accepted the offer and set a meeting place, where Villafuerte was subsequently arrested.
Villafuerte could be looking at a minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison, according to the news release. If released, he will have a lifetime of supervised release and sex offender registration. He will be sentenced July 14.
“Predators like Villafuerte are just another example of why parents need to be vigilant and aware of their children’s online activity," Philip Wislar, special agent in charge of the Atlanta FBI field office, said. "Fortunately, he connected with an undercover detective and not a child. The FBI remains committed to protecting our young citizens and is thankful for the law enforcement partnerships that make it possible to bring child predators to justice.”
