N.Y. Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Traveling to Lynchburg to Meet 14-Year-Old for Sex

ROANOKE, Va. – A New York man, who drove 8 hours in an effort to have sex with a 14-year-old Lynchburg, Virginia, girl with whom he had been chatting online, was sentenced today to 25 years in federal prison. 

Derrick Loi, 27, of Lakeville, New York, pled guilty earlier this year to one count of coercion and enticement.

According to court documents, in early February 2023, Loi met a 14-year-old girl from Lynchburg on Twitter (now known as X), and, in the early morning hours of February 14, 2023, began chatting with her on Discord. Loi told the young girl that, not only was he was interested in buying sexually explicit images and videos of her, but he also wanted to meet her in person to have sex.

Ultimately, Loi agreed to pay the victim $300 to have sex with him and to provide him with sexually explicit images.

Loi and the victim agreed that Loi would become the victim’s “sugar daddy” and that he would get unlimited access to sexually explicit content of the victim for a weekly fee of $50, which would increase to $100 after the first month. On February 15, 2023, Loi sent the victim a payment in line with that agreement.

On February 22, 2023, Loi and the victim began discussing plans for Loi to travel to meet the victim, including a discussion on specific sex acts and how he would film them.

After reserving a hotel room in Lynchburg, Loi chatted periodically with the young girl throughout his 8-hour drive from New York and also took time to send her a picture of items that he had brought with him for their sexual encounter.

Just as Loi arrived at the pre-arranged location, an officer from the Lynchburg Police Department drove up and began questioning Loi. Initially, Loi provided a false name and lied to law enforcement about why he was in Lynchburg.

A subsequent search of Loi’s vehicle revealed sex toys, a box containing “morning-after” contraception pills, and a bottle of pink vodka, which Loi had previously told the victim he was bringing for her.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, and the Lynchburg Police Department provided vital assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason M. Scheff prosecuted the case.

The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/