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Eric Charles Fuller, 55, of Springfield, Missouri, has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for traveling across state lines with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson of the Eastern District of Louisiana.
The sentencing, handed down by U.S. District Judge Greg Gerard Guidry, follows Fuller’s guilty plea to violating Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 2423(b). In addition to the prison term, Fuller was ordered to serve five years of supervised release, register as a sex offender, and pay a $100 special assessment fee.
Undercover Operation
According to court records, on December 7, 2023, Fuller was contacted by law enforcement officers operating undercover on a social networking and messaging app. Posing as a 29-year-old mother with a 12-year-old daughter, agents engaged Fuller in multiple conversations over the course of a month. During these interactions, Fuller expressed explicit intentions to engage in sexual activity with the fictitious minor and her “mother,” describing the planned acts as “highly taboo,” “highly illegal,” and “a way to have a happier life.”
On January 11, 2024, Fuller departed Springfield in his 2002 red Chevrolet Prism, arriving the next day at a predetermined location in Mandeville, Louisiana, where he believed he would meet the “mother” and the 12-year-old child for sexual purposes. He was arrested upon arrival.
Part of National Child Protection Effort
This case was prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice to combat child exploitation and abuse. The program brings together federal, state, and local agencies to identify, apprehend, and prosecute those who prey on children online, while also working to rescue and support victims.
To learn more, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for its work on the case. The prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit.
