Joshua Lewis Magraff, a 37-year-old from North Carolina, was indicted on charges of producing child sex abuse material and transporting a minor across state lines for unlawful purposes, United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced on Apr. 13.
The case highlights ongoing efforts to address child sexual exploitation and the legal consequences faced by those accused of such crimes. If convicted of producing child sex abuse material, Magraff faces a minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in federal prison. For the transportation offense, he could receive between 10 years and life in prison.
According to court documents, a missing person report was filed for a 16-year-old girl in Gastonia, North Carolina on February 2. On March 8, Magraff was stopped by the Putnam County Sheriff's Office in Florida with the missing child in his vehicle. He initially told authorities that she was his cousin but later admitted they had met at a hotel about one month earlier and that she had stayed with him for several weeks before traveling together to Florida.
Law enforcement obtained search warrants for two cellphones found in Magraff’s vehicle; searches revealed multiple videos showing Magraff performing sexual acts on the minor.
Officials emphasized that an indictment is only a formal charge and all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The investigation involved Homeland Security Investigations as well as law enforcement agencies from both Florida and North Carolina. Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor will prosecute the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation through coordinated federal, state, and local efforts.
