News Releases
NORTH CAROLINA MAN SENTENCED IN SEXUAL TRAVEL CASE
May 05, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
David E. Nahmias, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, and Gregory Jones, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, announce that RILEY LEDBETTER, 36, of Newport, North Carolina, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Jack T. Camp on charges of attempting to induce a minor into sexual activity. According to Nahmias:LEDBETTER was sentenced to 8 years, 1 month in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system. LEDBETTER was also sentenced to supervised release for life.
According to evidence in open court, from February through April 2004, LEDBETTER posted messages in an Internet chat room and through e-mail attempting to convince an individual he believed to be the mother of a six-year old daughter to allow him to molest her child. In actuality, the individual with whom LEDBETTER corresponded was an undercover Special Agent of the FBI in Atlanta, assigned to the Safe Child Task Force. On or about April 16, 2004, LEDBETTER drove from North Carolina to Marietta, Georgia, for the purpose of molesting the six-year old. LEDBETTER was arrested when he arrived in Marietta. On September 24, 2004, LEDBETTER pleaded guilty to one count of using a means of interstate commerce to knowingly attempt to persuade, induce, entice, or coerce a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity.
The case was investigated by the Safe Child Task Force, an FBI-led task force of federal, state, and local agencies.
Assistant United States Attorney Lawrence R. Sommerfeld prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact David E. Nahmias, United States Attorney or F. Gentry Shelnutt, Chief, Criminal Division, through Patrick Crosby, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney's Office, at (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.usdoj.gov/usao/gan.