Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Alysa D. Erichs, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), and Addy Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), announce the arrest of Rene Roberge, 47, of Quebec, Canada, on charges of enticement of a minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2422(b) and traveling into the United States with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. These charges carry a minimum mandatory sentence of ten years and a possible maximum sentence of life in prison.
According to the criminal complaint, Roberge traveled from Quebec, Canada to Fort Lauderdale on November 9, 2014 to meet with an underage boy and his father for a sexual encounter. Upon his arrival, Roberge was greeted by undercover officers and was interviewed.
On October 9, 2014, Roberge sent an email to an undercover FDLE agent through a social networking site, in which Roberge requested to meet with the agent and the agent’s 14 year-old son. Roberge chatted with the undercover agent, and stated that he would be willing to travel to Florida to meet the undercover FDLE agent and the agent’s son. The defendant made hotel reservations in Pompano Beach and arrived from Canada on Sunday, November 9, 2014. In his luggage, law enforcement officers found the lubricant, condoms, and gifts.
After admitting to traveling from Canada to Florida to engage in sexual activity with a boy he believed to be 14 years old, Roberge was arrested and transported to the Broward County Jail. ICE-HSI seized one iPad that contained images depicting child pornography.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of ICE-HSI and FDLE. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis Viamontes.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
