Magician Arrested for Traveling to Meet a Minor for Sex

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office cyber crime division arrested a 47-year-old Baltimore County attorney and magician who runs “Funhouse Entertainment,” a children’s entertainment company, for traveling to Florida to have sex with what he thought was a 14-year-old boy.

The man allegedly contacted undercover detectives in Lake County, Florida in January through an Internet chat line using a false name. The detectives posed as a 14-year-old boy and the boy’s legal guardian.

According to the police statement, the lawyer-magician supposedly promised to bring a basketball and planned to have sex with the boy during his visit. The man was arrested Monday at an undisclosed meeting location after traveling to Florida.

This case is exceptionally interesting because of the man’s position as a person educated in the ways of the law and how the prosecution will choose to deal with this matter.

A common defense to a charge resulting from a sex sting operation is entrapment, which basically means an officer coerced the accused into committing illegal activity. Most Internet sex sting operations are not considered entrapment, however, because they don’t meet the criteria. Sting operations have close guidelines for undercover detectives to abide by so that entrapment claims can be denied. For entrapment to be an actual defense, the defense must prove that no crime would have occurred if law enforcement had not been involved.

In undercover sex sting, an officer cannot solicit sex from anyone, in any way, shape or form. Officers wait for someone else to solicit sexual activity and make arrangements, which then can result in their arrest.

It is a good to know that most sex stings are monitored or recorded by police officers, and most of what is said or typed can be pulled for evidence if you believe you have fallen victim to entrapment.

If you are facing a cyber sex crimes charge due to an undercover police sting or online entrapment, contact the Florida Sex Crimes Defense Lawyers online or call 866-608-5529.