An Australian national has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after traveling to Georgia so he could have sex with a 14-year-old girl, authorities said Wednesday.
Geoffrey William Hine, 35, was arrested on child enticement charges when his plane landed at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in April 2012.
Hine planned to visit the teen, who lives in Rome, and engage in sexual activity, United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said in a news release. He even sent the girl’s grandmother money “on several occasions,” Yates said.
“This was a unique international based child exploitation case that not only speaks to the ambitious state of mind of a predator but also to the determination of law enforcement at all levels and jurisdictions to work together in apprehending these individuals,” Ricky Maxwell of the FBI Atlanta Field Office said in the release.
The relationship between Hine and the teen began in August 2011, authorities said. The two met on Facebook and had “numerous online and phone conversations” over several months, according to the release.
Hine made plans to visit the teen in Rome, and asked her if they could sleep together and have sex during his visit, authorities said. He also sent sexually explicit texts to the girl, “describing the sexual acts he intended to do with her,” according to the release.
Hine’s sentence also includes 30 years of supervised release.
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