Baltimore man faces life sentence for enticing 13-year-old girl for sex

Antonio Wright, 42, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty on March 13 in a Baltimore City courtroom to coercing and enticing a 13-year-old girl to engage in sexually explicit conduct and to two counts of production of child pornography.

Wright admitted that he used an online social network to induce the victim, Jane Doe, to engage in sexually explicit conduct, and to produce images of that conduct.  Wright was in a relationship with the victim’s mother from at least 2009, when Jane Doe was four years old, and lived with the family intermittently until the Spring of 2017. 

Beginning in at least August 2017, Wright and the victim, who was living with a foster family in Baltimore, began communicating by text messages, audio messages and images, using an online social network.  The messages frequently included Wright’s love for Jane Doe, who told Jane Doe that they should eventually get married. 

Jane Doe was approximately 13 years old at this time.  Wright instructed the victim not to tell others that she has “an older man for a boyfriend,” and that he would get in trouble if anyone found out.

On January 4, 2018, Wright spent time with Jane Doe at his residence when Baltimore City schools were closed due to snow.  That afternoon, Jane Doe’s foster mother noticed that Jane Doe did not come home when she expected her.  When she was unable to locate Jane Doe, she found the tablet that Jane Doe was using to communicate with Wright and observed the sexually explicit chats and images. 

After Wright brought Jane Doe home that afternoon, her foster mother filed a report with the Maryland Department of Human Services, who referred the case to Child Protective Services for investigation.  As part of the investigation, Jane Doe’s tablet and social media accounts were searched, and sexually explicit photos, texts, messages, and voice messages were located.

As part of his plea agreement, Wright will be required to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

Wright faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and up to life in prison for enticement and coercion of a minor; and a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison for each of the two counts of production of child pornography. 

Wright’s sentencing is scheduled for June 7, 2019.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

(Source:  U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland)

~ Posted by: Richard Webster, Ace News Today   /   Connect with Richard on Facebook and Twitter