Nine men from Illinois and Iowa, including the Quad Cities, face child sex crime charges. Thursday the US Attorney for the Central District of Illinois and the FBI announced the indictments for attempted enticement of a child to engage in sexual activity.
In addition, several of the defendants are charged with related crimes including travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual activity and soliciting images of child pornography.
Prosecutors say the men are suspected of using mobile dating and social media to contact individuals they believed to be children as young as 11, intending to meet them and engage in sexual activity.
Federal authorities worked with local police, sheriff's departments, and the state police on the investigation. Penalties for these charges range from 10 to 30 years in prison.
The defendants and their respective charges follow:
· Charles Christopher, 42, of West Liberty, Iowa, a convicted sex offender currently serving a term of supervised release related to a similar case in the Southern District of Iowa; attempted enticement of a minor to engage in illicit sexual activity, travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual activity;
· Michael McKinney, 23, of Silvis, Ill.; attempted enticement of a minor;
· Joseph Wilcher, 39, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; attempted enticement of a minor, travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual activity;
· Nicholas Swank, 31, of Muscatine, Iowa, a convicted sex offender; attempted enticement of a minor, travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual activity, and soliciting child pornography;
· Jeffrey Bosaw, 52, of Bloomington, Ill.; attempted enticement of a minor;
· Douglas Christensen, 55, of East Moline, Ill.; attempted enticement of a minor, soliciting child pornography;
· Auston McLain, 35, of Davenport, Iowa; attempted enticement of a minor, travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual activity and soliciting child pornography;
· Damien Shepherd, 35, of Moline, Ill.; attempted enticement of a minor; and,
· Douglas Speer, 30, of Johnston, Iowa; attempted enticement of a child (two counts), and travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual activity.
