SCRANTON-The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jimmy Cantelmo, age 27, Scranton, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison by Senior U.S. District Court Judge James M. Munley.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, Cantelmo previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor. Cantelmo admitted to conspiring with others to commit the crime during February through August 2014.
The sex trafficking activity involved placing photographs of the minor along with ads in the adult “escort" section of a website; renting motel rooms in Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties where the prostitution activities occurred; and serving as security or “bodyguards" at the motels where the commercial sex acts took place.
Cantelmo was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2015, as a result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Lackawanna County District Attorneys Office. Four persons have been charged in connection with the investigation. Sean Cantelmo, Jimmy Cantelmo’s brother, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 151 months in prison. Justin Strait pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. A fourth defendant is awaiting trial.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.
Judge Munley also ordered that Cantelmo serve five years on supervised release following his prison sentence. Cantelmo will also have to comply with the registration requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act when released from prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
