Richard Jackson White, Nicholas John Engolia, and Dustin Lee Seitz were charged between March 27 and April 28 as a result of a Federal Bureau of Investigation undercover operation involving individuals seeking to engage in illicit sexual conduct with minors, according to a May 5 announcement by U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
The charges highlight ongoing efforts by law enforcement to address the issue of child sexual exploitation. The cases involve allegations that each defendant attempted or intended to engage in illegal activity with individuals they believed were underage.
According to the indictment, Engolia corresponded online from January 28 until March 3 with someone he believed was a fifteen-year-old female and later traveled from Slidell to Covington, Louisiana, intending to meet her for criminal sexual activity. He is accused of attempting both coercion and enticement of a minor as well as transferring obscene material. White is alleged to have traveled from Mississippi to Louisiana on February 24 for similar purposes and faces one count related to travel with intent for illicit sexual conduct. Seitz allegedly drove from Gulfport, Mississippi, to Mandeville, Louisiana between March 2 and March 4 intending similar actions.
If convicted, Engolia faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years up to life imprisonment on one count and up to ten years on another; Seitz and White each face up to thirty years in prison if found guilty. All defendants could also be subject to supervised release periods ranging from five years upwards, fines up to $250,000 per count, special assessment fees, and possible sex offender registration requirements.
Courcelle said that indictments are only charges at this stage: "indictments and bills of information are merely charges and that the guilt of each defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt." He praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in these cases.
The prosecutions fall under Project Safe Childhood—a Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006—to combat child exploitation using federal resources alongside state partners. More information about this initiative can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
