Atlanta man arrested after allegedly flying to Detroit to have sex with 14-year-old boy
An Atlanta man has been arrested by federal authorities in Detroit after he allegedly flew to Michigan to have sex with a 14-year-old boy.
David Crossman, 66, was arrested Friday following a sting operation conducted by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
According to a statement from ICE officials, Crossman was taken into custody without incident at the Detroit Metro Airport and charged with travel in interstate commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct and online enticement.
If convicted, Crossman faces a sentence of life in prison for the online enticement charge, while the other charge is punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
The ICE statement said that for the past two months, Crossman had been communicating online with an undercover federal agent, who responded to an ad Crossman had placed seeking sex with a minor. The agent had posed as the father of a young boy in his correspondence with Crossman.
“In the correspondence, Crossman allegedly described in graphic detail his plans for the minor,” the statement said.
The investigation was part of “Operation Predator,” a nationwide Homeland Security initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, internet child pornographers and child sex traffickers.
“We are finding more and more that state lines and international borders are clearly not a hinderance to child predators,” said Brian M. Moskowitz, special agent in charge of Homeland Security’s Detroit office.
