Ohio man who enticed a Colorado minor victim in an attempt to produce child pornography convicted following 2-week jury trial
Defendant Rande Brian Isabella faces up to life in federal prison
DENVER — Following a two-week jury trial, an Ohio man was found guilty Oct. 7 of one count of coercion and enticement of a minor, and one count of attempted production of child pornography.
This conviction was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer, District of Colorado, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge David A. Thompson.
The jury, which deliberated for about three hours, acquitted the defendant on two similar counts.
According to the facts presented at trial, between September and December 2013, Rande Brian Isabella, 59, of Hubbard, Ohio, communicated via phone and online with a 14-year-old girl in Colorado. Through these communications, he misrepresented his age to her and repeatedly asked for pictures of her as their conversations became increasingly sexual in nature. Ultimately, he persuaded her to send him a naked photograph of herself. Isabella told the minor girl that he was her boyfriend and asked her to stay with him if he traveled to Colorado. He sent her a photograph of his own genitalia, encouraging her to respond in kind. She did send him more pictures of herself, some sexual in nature, before she lost her phone. The minor girl’s mother found her phone and discovered the conversations with Isabella. The mother sought the help of law enforcement, and HSI began investigating the defendant’s online activities.
During the course of this investigation, federal agents determined Isabella’s identity and address. A search warrant was then obtained and executed at his home in Ohio. HSI special agents seized his phone and two of his computers. On his phone, they found the communications with the minor girl and photographs of her that he had saved. On his computer, a forensic analyst found that Isabella had Googled the minor girl shortly after they began communicating and that he had visited her Facebook profile, looking at her friends and photos. He also visited three different websites which showed that the minor girl had competed in 2012 in middle-school track races. After viewing those websites, Isabella continued to communicate with the minor girl and saved to his phone the nude image she sent him.
“Producing child pornography victimizes children, it’s as simple as that,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer. “This defendant deservedly faces a minimum of 15 years, and up to life, thanks to the hard work of this elite investigation and prosecution team.”
“Sexual predators of children have a history of being able to charm their way into the trust of the children they prey upon,” said David A. Thompson, special agent in charge of HSI Denver. “However, in the age of the internet, these predators now present a danger to many more children. Parents need to be fully aware of how their children are using their electronic and social media; and all children should be continually reminded that strangers met via the internet may not be who they say they are. HSI has an active Operation Predator program to rescue child victims and criminally investigate their victimizers.”
Isabella faces not less than 10 years, and up to life in federal prison, as well as not more than a $250,000 fine for coercing and enticing a minor. He also faces not less than 15 years, and up to 30 years in federal prison for attempted production of child pornography.
This case was investigated by HSI.
The defendant was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alecia Riewerts and Celeste Rangel, District of Colorado.
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 14,000 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 2015, nearly 2,400 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. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. 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, 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.
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