James Macko, age 23, of North Adams, Massachusetts, pled guilty today to one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.  United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. 

Macko admitted that between November 16, 2022 and December 9, 2022, he exchanged text messages with an undercover officer posing as an 11-year-old child, in which he attempted to coerce and entice the assumed child into sexual contact with him.  Macko arranged to meet the child in a state park in Western Massachusetts, where he intended to perform sexual acts on the child in a cave.  On December 9, 2022, Macko left his home in North Adams in order to meet the child and was arrested shortly thereafter, carrying with him candy, liquor, and a length of rope.

United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci will sentence Macko on July 28, 2023.  Macko faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. 

This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Colonie Police Department and the New York State Police.  Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Clark is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood. 

Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).  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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.

Original source can be found here.