A Maine man pleaded guilty Sept. 1 to federal child exploitation offenses in a Boston federal court.
Patrick Plummer, of Parsonsfield, admitted traveling to have sex with a minor and having child pornography in his possession, according to a Sept. 7 Department of Justice news release. Plummer entered guilty pleas to one count of attempting to entice a minor, one count of intending to engage in illicit sexual activity with a person under the age of 18 and one count of transporting child pornography.
"Protecting the safety, innocence and wellbeing of our children is some of the most important work we do," U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins said in the release. "As the United States Attorney and the guardian of my 13-year-old niece, this case is another heinous reminder of the real-life dangers of the internet and the predators that lurk online with the intention of targeting, exploiting and sexualizing our children. We will continue to hold predators like Mr. Plummer accountable and fight to keep them removed from our communities.”
U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper set the sentencing date for Dec. 20, the release reported. In January 2021, Plummer was detained, charged through a criminal complaint and indicted in February 2021.
To arrange a rendezvous in Georgetown, Mass., for sex, the defendant reportedly communicated with an undercover police officer posing as a 13-year-old girl using a variety of messaging apps, the news release said. On Sept. 26, 2020, Plummer took a car from Maine to Georgetown, for the meetup.
Four cell phones, a computer and a spring-release knife were discovered on the defendant when police arrived and arrested him, according to the release. More than 7,000 images and videos of child pornography were discovered on at least three of the devices after forensic examination.
“What Patrick Plummer admitted to is abhorrent," Joseph R. Bonavolonta, special agent in charge of the FBI Boston division, said in the release. "This child predator traveled here from Maine to sexually assault what he believed to be a 13-year-old girl, while in possession of over a hundred images and videos depicting other children, some toddlers, being sexually abused. Sexual assaults against children remain an ongoing, pervasive problem and we will continue to do everything we can to identify and apprehend the individuals responsible for these atrocious acts.”
