Warwick Man Sentenced To 16 Years In Prison For Enticing Minors To Engage In Sexual Activity

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that ROBERT GARNEAU was sentenced to 16 years in prison for his enticement of three minors to engage in sexual activity.  GARNEAU pled guilty plea to three counts of enticement of a minor on May 25, 2017, before United States District Judge Nelson Román, who imposed today’s sentencing.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “Robert Garneau’s crimes are the nightmare of every modern parent.  Using everyday social media websites, Garneau exploited minors for his own sexual gratification.  As today’s sentencing underscores, we will continue to use every tool available to law enforcement to prosecute and punish those who sexually exploit children.”                                                                                                       

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in related court proceedings:

           

From September 2014 to December 1, 2014, GARNEAU, a registered sex offender, communicated online via Instagram and Kik with a then 12-year-old minor (“Victim-1”) in California, and convinced Victim-1 to take and send sexually explicit photographs of Victim-1 to GARNEAU.   On August 10, 2015, and July 18, 2015, GARNEAU engaged in the same type of activity with two more minors (“Victim-2” and “Victim-3”).   

During his communications with his victims, GARNEAU utilized the screen names “Raptorr427,” “BobbySixx,” “Allison Denario,” and/or “Giannafitz81.”  While communicating with his victims, GARNEAU posed as a minor and threatened his victims that if they did not send additional photos and/or videos, they would be arrested for the photos and/or videos they had already sent.  With respect to Victim-2, GARNEAU also threatened to show the photos and videos to Victim-2’s Instagram followers.

In addition to the prison term, GARNEAU, 23, of Warwick, New York, was sentenced to 15 years of supervised release.

Mr. Berman praised the efforts of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Long Island University, the Nassau County Police Department, and the Vacaville Police Department in Vacaville, California, in connection with this investigation.

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