United States Attorney James T. Jacks
Northern District of Texas

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2011
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txn/

FEDERAL JURY CONVICTS 51-YEAR-OLD MAN
FOR ENTICING SOMEONE HE BELIEVED TO BE A 14-YEAR-OLD
MINOR TO ENGAGE IN SEXUAL ACTIVITY

“Minor” Was an Adult Working With Citizen Group “Perverted Justice”

DALLAS — Following a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater, a federal jury has convicted Hussain Kamal, 51, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, on one count of enticement of a minor and one count of traveling with intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor, announced U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas. Kamal faces a maximum statutory sentence of at least 10 years in prison and up to life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is set for May 20, 2011.

The jury was presented evidence at trial that in May 2008, Kamal initiated communications on Yahoo! chat with an individual whom he believed to be a 14-year-old girl named “Devin” from Greenville, Texas. Devin, however, was in fact an adult working with “Perverted Justice,” a citizen group dedicated to protecting children from sexual predators. On multiple occasions, from May 20, 2008, through July 4, 2008, Kamal chatted with Devin via Yahoo! Many of the chats were of a sexual nature in which Kamal suggested that they engage in sexually explicit behavior and take photographs of each other, from the neck down.

Eventually, Kamal and Devin agreed that on July 5, 2008, he would come to Greenville, Texas, (on his way back to New Braunfels, Texas, from Ohio) and meet her at a local movie theater. Kamal did not know that Devin had contacted the Greenville Police Department about him and had forwarded them her chat logs with him, along with information about the date and time of their meeting.

As scheduled, on July 5, 2008, Kamal arrived at the agreed-upon movie theater and officers with the Greenville Police Department were waiting for him. Kamal was arrested and in his car, officers found receipts documenting his travel from Ohio to Texas, a laptop computer, external hard drive, condoms, Viagra, a digital camera and a Dale Ernhardt teddy bear. A forensic analysis of Kamal’s computer equipment contained images of pornography (not confirmed child pornography) and Yahoo! chats, with others, including an individual claiming to be a 16-year-old girl named “Candi.”

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. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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 to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov

The case was investigated by the Greenville Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa J. Miller and Camille Sparks were in charge of the prosecution.

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