Defendant had been in touch with a Homeland Security Investigations special agent acting in an undercover capacity regarding his desire to sexually exploit children
DENVER - Jason Tremblay, age 28, of Ledyard, Connecticut, was arrested late last week in Greeley, Colorado after driving from his home to Colorado to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a mother and her two minor daughters, who in this case was an undercover Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent, U.S. Attorney John Walsh and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) announced. Today U.S. Magistrate Judge Kristen L. Mix ordered the defendant released on a $50,000 unsecured bond. He was first charged based on a Criminal Complaint on February 4, 2016, and then indicted by a federal grand jury today, February 9, 2016.
According to charging documents, including the affidavit in support of the Criminal Complaint, in December of 2014, an HSI special agent began an investigation targeting individuals who use a particular website to sexually exploit children. They also may create and join a variety of groups based on their sexual interests, including groups called “incest," “jailbait," and “teen." Members may post advertisements in the website’s classified section seeking to meet other members with the same sexual interests such as rape and incest.
In November of 2015, the HSI special agent was working in an undercover capacity in Greeley, adopting a fictional persona of a single mother of two children, ages 10 and 14. On Nov. 30, 2015, the agent received an email via the afore mentioned website from an individual asking if the mom persona was “active with your girls." After this email, further communications ensued, including chats and other communications.
On January 6, 2016, the undercover agent received an image that then target, now defendant Tremblay claimed to be himself. In return, the special agent sent images that she identified as her with her two minor daughters. After agreeing to a meeting that would involve the sexual exploitation of the minor girls, on Feb. 2, 2016, Tremblay began a drive he estimated would take 29 hours from Ledyard, Connecticut to Greeley, Colorado. On February 4, 2016 at 2:20 a.m., Tremblay was encountered by a Greeley Police Officer, who asked Tremblay about his sobriety and why he was in the vicinity. HSI agents and Colorado State Patrol Officers then arrived on scene and Tremblay was placed under arrest.
According to the indictment, the defendant faces one count of aggravated sexual abuse with children. If convicted on that count he faces not less than 30 years, and up to life in federal prison. Further, he faces one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. If convicted on that count, he faces not more than 30 years in federal prison. Finally, Tremblay faces two counts of attempted coercion and enticement. If convicted on those counts, he faces not less than 10 years, and not more than life imprisonment, per count. Each of the four counts also carries a fine of not more than $250,000.
This case was investigated by HSI, with support from the Colorado State Patrol and the Greeley Police Department.
Tremblay is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alecia Riewerts.
The charges contained in the Criminal Complaint are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
