Georgia man sentenced to 10 years for traveling to NJ for child sex

TRENTON, N.J. — A Georgia man was sentenced Monday to 10 years in federal prison for traveling from New York to New Jersey to have sexual contact with a minor. The sentencing follows an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Richard J. Simone Jr., 23, of Acworth, Georgia, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Mary L. Cooper in Trenton federal court to traveling across state lines for the purpose of engaging in sexual conduct with a minor. Simone has been in custody since his arrest in September 2013.

According to court documents, Simone admitted that beginning in July 2013 he engaged in numerous graphic communications over the Internet with an individual he believed was the father of a 9-year-old girl. During those communications, Simone discussed having sex with the girl and also her minor baby sitter. The individual with whom he was corresponding was actually an undercover agent from HSI posing as the fictitious minors. On Sept. 13, 2013, Simone traveled from Long Island to Monmouth County, N.J., for the purpose of having sex with the two minors. Simone was arrested when he arrived at the location where he and the undercover had arranged to meet.

In addition to the prison term, Simone was sentenced to five years of supervised release.

The West Long Branch Borough Police Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office provided assistance with the investigation.

This investigation was conducted under HSI's Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 10,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2013, more than 2,000 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.

For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI's Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page.

HSI is a founding member and current chair of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.