Vermont man sentenced to 10 years for attempting to entice a minor
ALBANY, NY (WRGB) — A Vermont man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, convicted of attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity.
Thomas Cesiro, 69, of Rutland, Vermont, was convicted in October of last year. The trial evidence established that from October 10 to October 20, 2020, Cesiro exchanged more than 1,000 text messages and 9 phone calls with Albany-based investigators who were posing as both a 12-year-old girl and the adult mother of the girl. During one phone call, Cesiro instructed the girl how to conduct a sexual act.
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On October 20, 2020, Cesiro traveled from his residence in Rutland to Bennington, Vermont, to meet the purported mother and 12-year-old child, and brought with him various sex devices and gifts for the child, including a vibrating Frozen-themed toothbrush. Cesiro was encountered by law enforcement officials when he arrived at the meeting location, and arrested.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also imposed a 10-year term of post-imprisonment supervised release.
This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, including investigators from the Colonie Police Department, Rotterdam Police Department, and New York State Police, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel Williams and Richard Belliss.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better located, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc/
