NORTH ADAMS, MA. – James Macko, age 23, of North Adams, Massachusetts, was arrested today and charged with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor and attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The criminal complaint alleges that between November 16, 2022 and December 9, 2022, Macko exchanged text messages with another person in Albany. In these messages, Macko expressed interest in engaging in sexual conduct with an 11-year-old child.
Macko and the other person discussed plans in which Macko would meet the other person at a prearranged location in order to engage in sexual acts with the child. On December 9, 2022, Macko left his home to meet the presumed child in North Adams, where he was encountered by law enforcement and arrested. Macko is also charged with transferring pornographic images to a person he believed to be 11 years old.
Macko appeared today before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel, who ordered Macko detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for Tuesday, December 13.
The charges filed against Macko carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum sentence of life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Clark.
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