Urbana, Ill. - Jim Lewis, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois, announced that a jury convicted Jeffrey Parkhurst, 59, of the 1100 block of Reynolds St., Springfield, Ill., today for attempted enticement of a minor. The jury deliberated for approximately 26 minutes before returning the verdict. Sentencing has been scheduled for Aug. 1, 2016, before U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce.
During the trial, which began on Tuesday, Mar. 29, the government presented evidence to establish that in July 2015, Parkhurst used the Internet and a cellular telephone to knowingly attempt to entice an individual he believed to be a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.
Parkhurst was arrested on Jul. 27, 2015, in Decatur, Ill. and charged initially by state authorities. He has remained in custody since his arrest. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service on Sept. 18, 2015.
The statutory penalty for attempted enticement of a minor is 10 years to life in prison plus a fine of up to $250,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson. The charges are the result of an investigation by the Decatur Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations in cooperation with the Macon County State’s Attorney.
The 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 the Criminal Division=s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
