The one-count federal indictment alleges that the offense occurred in St. Clair County between Dec. 1, 2018, and Jan. 26, 2019. Wigfall, 47, made his initial appearance in federal district court late last week and pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was ordered held without bond pending an April 30, 2019 jury trial.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
Because Wigfall has a previous conviction for a sex offense, he is subject to an enhanced sentence. If convicted, Wigfall faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison, a term of supervised release from five years to life, and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the United States Secret Service. The St. Clair County States Attorneys Office and the police departments of East St. Louis, Cahokia, Belleville, Dupo, Granite City, OFallon, and Swansea have also assisted in the investigation.
-- Southern District of Illinois
Source: U.S. Secret Service