Indiana man sentenced to more than 24 years in prison for coercing a minor

HAMMOND, Ind. — An Indiana man was sentenced Thursday to 292 months in federal prison for coercing and enticing a minor.

Special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated this case. The Hammond (Indiana) and East Chicago police departments assisted with this investigation.

Willard Abatie, 64, from Chesterton, Indiana, was also sentenced to five years of supervised release after he completes his prison sentence. 

According to documents in this case, on about 10 occasions between March and December 2014, Abatie coerced a 12-year-old girl to perform sex acts with him. Abatie gained access to the girl by agreeing to help the girl’s mother facilitate a money laundering scheme. Abatie made money transfers for the mother in exchange for sexual contact with the minor.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Abizer Zanzi, Northern District of Indiana, prosecuted this case.

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 12,000 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 2014, more than 2,300 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 1,000 victims identified or rescued.

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. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 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.