A jury in Peoria, Illinois, has found Joseph Perkins, 32, guilty of attempting to entice a minor. The conviction is for his communication with someone he thought was a thirteen-year-old girl between January 2023 and March 2024, intending to engage in sexual activity. Perkins was apprehended in March 2024 in Peoria by federal agents at the location where he went to meet the girl.
Sentencing is set for August 13, 2025, at the U.S. Courthouse in Peoria, Illinois. The charge carries a statutory penalty of ten years to life imprisonment, followed by five years to life of supervised release. Perkins remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Springfield Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa P. Ortiz and Douglas F. McMeyer prosecuted the case. This case is a part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative by the Department of Justice to tackle child exploitation on the internet, aiming to prevent abuse and prosecute offenders. More information about the initiative can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
