Thanks to the hard work of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, this dangerous predator is off the streets, said U.S. Attorney John Milhiser. We will continue to identify and prosecute those who prey on our children.
Stone pleaded guilty to the charges on Oct. 17, 2018. According to court documents and admissions made in connection with his guilty pleas, Stone engaged in internet communications with a 15-year old girl who lived in Illinois. In December 2016, Stone traveled from Ohio to Illinois to meet the girl and then drove her to Iowa, where he and the girl engaged in sexual activity and Stone created video of the sexually explicit conduct. In addition, Stone admitted to illegal sexual activity with other minor girls in Illinois, Missouri, and Ohio. Further, Stone admitted that he caused the girls in those states and other girls in Iowa, Virginia, and Pennsylvania to create videos of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct and to send the videos to Stone.
The charges were investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, the Moline Police Department, Illinois State Police, and the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Allegro.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys Offices and 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 www.justice.gov/psc.
-- Central District of Illinois
Source: U.S. Secret Service