A Long Beach man was indicted yesterday for allegedly attempting to have sex with a minor and responding to an online advertisement offering sex with a 15-year-old girl in exchange for $200, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced today.
Victor James Sporman, 46, a convicted sex offender and former Bellflower resident, was named in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury that charges him with attempted sex trafficking of a child and using the internet to induce a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, according to a DOJ release.
“This defendant is charged with using the Internet to locate a child to rape in exchange for money,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker in a statement. “This indictment reflects conduct that is abhorrent in a civilized society, and is the latest example of my office’s dedication to protecting vulnerable members of our society, especially children victimized by the sex trafficking industry.”
Officials said Sporman’s indictment is a result of an undercover operation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigation (HSI).
“Authorities were conducting an anti-sex trafficking operation in Long Beach and posted an advertisement on the Craigslist website that was designed to attract individuals interested in engaging in commercial sex acts with minors,” the release stated.
According to the indictment, Sporman responded to the Craigslist ad on October 26 via email and then engaged in a series of text messages with an undercover agent he thought was a 15-year-old girl. He agreed to pay $200 to engage in sex with the “girl” and he repeatedly texted photographs of himself, money and his genitals, officials stated. He also bought condoms to prepare for the December 6 encounter.
When Sporman arrived at the hotel to have sex with the girl, he had about $200 and two condoms, officials stated.
He was arrested the same day and made his initial court appearance the next day, during which he was released on a $40,000 bond.
Sporman is expected to be arraigned January 3 in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles. He faces a statutory maximum sentence of life, with each charge carrying a minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
“The predators who are brazenly stalking our children online need to know that HSI, together with its law enforcement partners, is working tirelessly to track you down and hold you accountable for your crimes,” Joseph Macias, special agent in charge for HSI Los Angeles, said in a statement. “We need the public’s assistance in this effort. We urge anyone in the community who has information about this case, or any other incident involving possible child sex trafficking, to come forward so we can prosecute the perpetrators and provide assistance to their victims.”
The case against Sporman is the result of an investigation by HSI’s Los Angeles Human Smuggling and Trafficking Group, which received substantial help from the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD). Assistant U.S. Attorney Lana Morton-Owens of the Violent and Organized Crime Section is prosecuting the case.
Investigators believe there may be unidentified underage victims related to Sporman. Any member of the public who has information is requested to contact investigators by using HSI’s toll-free tip line at 1 (866) DHS-2-ICE or by completing an online form.
Above, left photo courtesy of ICE.