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Date: 02-16-2019
Case Style:
United States of America v. John C. Fortner
Case Number: 2:17-cr-00243-MHW-1
Judge: Michael H. Watson
Court: United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio (Franklin County)
Plaintiff's Attorney: Heather A. Hill and Noah R. Litton
Defendant's Attorney: Laura E. Byrum and George Chaney, Jr. - FPD
Description:
Columbus, OH - Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Attempting to Coerce a Minor
John C. Fortner, 44, of Chillicothe, was sentenced to 240 months in prison for attempting to coerce a minor while registered as a sex offender.
According to court documents, a task force officer with the FBI Cyber Crimes Task Force was posing undercover online as the mother of minor children. In August 2017, the officer posted a web advertisement stating he was looking to chat with people interested in “taboo fetishes.”
Fortner emailed the officer asking “can we do your daughter or son?”
Fortner asked to be connected to “any other that would let me f***” and began communicating with a second undercover officer, who investigates cyber crime with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. He told that officer he heard the persona had a nice daughter who was 13 years old. He asked “you and your daughter play with guys much?” Fortner also asked if the daughter was cute and offered to meet with them.
Fortner and the officer planned to meet in a public place, and, if the meeting went well, to later meet in a hotel for sexual purposes.
On August 21, 2017, Fortner asked the officer to pick him up at a gas station in Chillicothe for their meeting. Fortner was subsequently arrested.
Fortner was convicted in 2015 in Texas for possession of child pornography and in 2016 in Belmont County, Ohio for importuning and attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. As a result, he was a registered sex offender at the time of his new offense.
Fortner pleaded guilty in this current case in May 2018.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the FBI Cyber Crimes Task Force and the Franklin County ICAC.
Charges:
COERCION OR ENTICEMENT OF FEMALE
(1)
PENALTIES FOR REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS
(2)
Outcome: 120 months imprisonment; Life term of supervised release; $100.00 special assessment
120 months imprisonment to run consecutively and Life term of supervised release to run concurrently; $100.00 special assessment
Minute Entry for proceedings held before Judge Michael H. Watson: Sentencing held on 2/14/2019 for John Charles Fortner, Count 1, 120 months imprisonment; Life term of supervised release; Count 2, 120 months imprisonment to run consecutively and Life term of supervised release to run concurrently; $200.00 special assessment. (Court Reporter: Lahana DuFour) (jk) (Entered: 02/15/2019)
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
Comments: