New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Arrests Sex Offender
April 19, 2007
Convicted sex offender Jeramie Dante of Albuquerque was sentenced today to a maximum penalty of 18 months in prison for one count of 4th degree child solicitation by computer.
New Mexico Attorney General Gary King’s prosecutors said that Dante was “lucky to be sentenced under the current law” and not the recently passed legislation that amended the statute. Under current law, the maximum sentence for a conviction of child sexual solicitation is 18 months without a requirement to be registered as a sex offender. The strengthened law makes child solicitation by computer a 2nd degree felony and Dante could have faced up to nine years in prison and been required to register as a sex offender with the New Mexico State Police.
Attorney General Gary King says, “I’m glad we were able to get the maximum sentence under the old law, but the new penalties are clearly more in line with the severity of the crime and the lasting effects on young victims.”
Dante was arrested in May, 2006 by the Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit. During an online chat session on the Yahoo! Instant messaging service, an ICAC agent posing as a girl received messages from a user with the screen name “wiccanprince1982.”
Between May 3 and May 12, 2006, the agent received several sexually explicit instant messages from wiccanprince1982. The messages from wiccanprince1982 described what he would like to do to the “girl” and suggested they meet in person for sex at his residence. Dante, going by his screen name, disclosed that he was 32 years old, lived near Montano and I-25 in Albuquerque, and sent photographs of his body parts. Dante also allowed the supposed 12 year old girl to view his live web cam broadcast in which he masturbated in front of the camera.
The two scheduled to meet on May 9, but Dante did not make an appearance. Two days later, during the course of conversations, Dante asked for another opportunity to meet the “girl” and another meeting was scheduled for May 12. Dante again did not appear. May 16, the agent received a set of messages from Dante, who was using the screen name “shattered_dreams8899.” Dante told the agent he would teach her how to have sex.
Using the photographs Dante took of himself, ICAC Investigators were able to confirm Dante’s identity and address. On May 18, special agents from the Attorney General’s ICAC Unit approached the apartment where records show Dante was residing. When Dante opened the door, agents serving a search warrant were able to match items in Dante’s apartment to items contained in photographs he had sent of himself to the “girl” to which he was sending instant messages. He was arrested and taken into custody by ICAC agents.