Man Guilty of Coercing Sex Acts by 9-year-old Girl
A North Georgia man pleaded guilty Friday to coercing a nine-year-old girl to perform live sex acts on an Internet web camera.
Gregory Hunter, 50, of Mt. Airy, Georgia, faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
Brian D. Lamkin, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta, said, “The national investigation which uncovered the victimization of this nine year old child as well as child predator Gregory Hunter reminds us that the internet can be a dangerous place in that it provides access by these predators to our children. The FBI has many agents throughout the country dedicated to working with their local and state law enforcement partners regarding crimes against children matters and the value of the information sharing process in these investigations cannot be overstated.”
The invetigation leading to Hunter began in Oklahoma between 2008 and 2009, leading FBI agents to a number of subjects across the country, including Hunter.
Hunter admitted that in 2008 he began communicating via the internet with a man in California regarding child pornography. The California man ultimately offered that his own stepdaughter, who at the time was nine years old, was available for live, sexually explicit performances before a webcam in his home. On numerous occasions over the course of the next three months, Hunter conspired with the stepfather to persuade and induce the girl to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of a live webcam session that he transmitted over the internet to Hunter. During the sessions, Hunter repeatedly made graphic requests of the girl and on at least one occasion suggested that the stepfather get the child “a little drunk” and engage in sexual intercourse with her.
In August 2009, in Sacramento, California, the stepfather was sentenced to 30 years in prison following his convictions in federal district court for producing, transporting and possessing child pornography.
United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said, “Our children deserve our protection, and those who abuse and prey on children deserve to go to prison.”
Brian D. Lamkin, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta, said, “The national investigation which uncovered the victimization of this nine year old child as well as child predator Gregory Hunter reminds us that the internet can be a dangerous place in that it provides access by these predators to our children. The FBI has many agents throughout the country dedicated to working with their local and state law enforcement partners regarding crimes against children matters and the value of the information sharing process in these investigations cannot be overstated.”
No date has been set for Hunter's sentencing.
