TUCSON, Ariz. - On April 19, 2019, a federal jury returned guilty verdicts against Lawrence James Halamek, 36, of Safford, Ariz., after a four-day trial before District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps. Halamek was convicted of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Halamek faces a sentence of up to lifetime imprisonment, followed by up to lifetime supervised release, stringent sex offender conditions, and sex offender registration.
The evidence at trial showed that in December 2016, Halamek picked up a minor child from her bus stop and transported her to a remote area in New Mexico, with the intent of sexually assaulting her. With the help of an Amber Alert, the two were located the following day.
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 United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.
The investigation in this case was conducted by Federal Bureau of Investigation, Sierra Vista Office, Grant County Sheriff’s Department, and Graham County Sheriff’s Department. The prosecution was handled by Carin C. Duryee and Erica L. Seger, District of Arizona, Tucson.
CASE NUMBER: CR-17-0477-TUC-JGZ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2019-056_Halamek
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
