East Texas man sentenced to 6 ½ years in prison for attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor
BEAUMONT — A local man was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales, Eastern District of Texas.
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office (Colorado), and the police departments of Port Arthur, Texas and Beaumont, Texas.
John “Johnny” Anthony Sassine, 53, was sentenced Feb. 17 to 78 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Ron Clark. He pleaded guilty to the charge Nov. 4.
“This case illustrates the lengths to which a child predator will go to take their inappropriate relationship from the internet to what they hope will be physical contact,” said Brian M. Moskowitz, special agent in charge of HSI Houston. “Sadly, today’s technology in the hands of a predator with access to children has put our children at greater risk than ever before. Despite the odds, HSI will continue to work tirelessly to protect our kids and brings their abusers to justice.”
According to court records, in March 2013 an undercover officer in Jefferson County, Colorado, was working in an undercover capacity on a social networking sight posing as a 13-year-old female. The undercover officer received an unsolicited message from Sassine and began an online conversation which became sexually explicit in nature. The undercover officer provided Sassine with a birthdate of a 15 year-old minor. Sassine sent the undercover officer two sexually explicit photos and requested naked photos of the minor.
Officials in Colorado coordinated with authorities in Port Arthur to identify and apprehend Sassine. On Apr. 12, 2013, a federal search warrant was executed at Sassine’s residence. At first, Sassine denied having any computers in the home, and then admitted that there were three laptops and a notebook computer in the residence. When asked if he knew why authorities were there, Sassine speculated it was because he had been to talking to someone “illegally” and admitted sending the sexually explicit photos of himself to someone he thought was under 16 years of age.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall L. Fluke, Eastern District of Texas, prosecuted the 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 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 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. 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.
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.
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