United States of America v. Jeremy Robert Ward

Little Rock, Arkansas criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with inticement of a minor in violation of 18:2422(b).



In September 2022, Ward, a thirty-two-year-old Michigan resident, contacted a female minor in Arkansas on the messaging application Snapchat. The minor was twelve years old but told Ward that she was seventeen. Ward claimed in the chat to be twenty-two years old.



Over a three-week period, the two exchanged pictures, videos, voice messages, and video conversation. At Ward's request, the minor sent pictures and videos in which she was naked, and Ward sent the minor explicit photos of himself.



Ward proposed engaging in sexual acts when the two were together, and the minor assented. On October 15, Ward traveled to Arkansas and attempted to engage in sexual intercourse with the minor. The minor resisted, and her parents arrived in

time to stop Ward.



A grand jury charged Ward with nine violations of federal law relating to sexual exploitation of a minor. Count One, at issue here, charged Ward with enticing a minor to engage in "any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with

a criminal offense.” 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b). The indictment alleged that Ward enticed the minor to engage in sexual activity for which Ward could be charged under an Arkansas statute concerning sexual indecency with a child. See Ark. Code Ann. § 5-14-110.

The Defendant was found guilty and was sentenced to 480 months on Count 1, 480 months on Counts 2-7, 480 months on Count 8, and 360 months on Count 9 all to run concurrently, supervised release for life on all counts to run concurrently, and a $100 special assessment for each count for a total of $900.



Affirmed.