United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

Project Safe Childhood: MAN SENTENCED TO SIX YEARS IN PRISON FOR USING INTERNET TO ATTEMPT TO ENGAGE IN SEX WITH MINOR

Kevin J. O’Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that WILLIAM A. GROGLIO, 52, formerly of Plantsville, Connecticut, currently residing in Rye Brook, New York, was sentenced yesterday, January 10, by United States District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven, to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release.  On April 3, 2007, GROGLIO pleaded guilty to one count of using the Internet to attempt to persuade a minor to engage in sexual activity, and one count of transportation of child pornography.

According to documents filed with the Court and statements made in court, from June 1, 2006 to July 6, 2006, GROGLIO engaged in Internet discussions and exchanged email with a person he believed to be a 13-year-old girl, but was, in fact, an undercover Middletown Police Detective posing as a 13-year-old girl.  Through these Internet discussions and email, GROGLIO arranged with the detective posing as a girl to meet with him for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity.  On July 6, 2006, law enforcement agents observed GROGLIO as he arrived in Middletown at a shopping plaza where GROGLIO had arranged to meet the “girl.”  After he arrived in the area of the meeting location, GROGLIO was arrested by investigators from the Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force, which includes the Middletown Police Detective who posed as the girl.

The investigation subsequently revealed that GROGLIO also utilized a computer at his former place of business to collect more than 600 child pornographic images and videos, and to trade certain images with others over the Internet.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Middletown Police Department and members of the Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anastasia Enos King.

U.S. Attorney O’Connor noted that this prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force was formed in February 2003 to investigate crimes occurring over the Internet.  These crimes include computer intrusion, Internet fraud, copyright violations, Internet threats and harassment and on-line crimes against children. The Task Force also provides computer forensic review services for participating agencies.  The Task Force is housed in the main FBI office in New Haven, Connecticut. For more information about the Task Force, please contact the FBI at 203-777-6311.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.

CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov