East St. Louis, Ill. – Paul L. Jansen, 26, of Damiansville, Illinois, was sentenced on Wednesday,
February 16, 2022, to 188 months imprisonment for attempted enticement of a minor and
enticement of a minor. The sentence will run concurrently for both counts. Jansen was
also sentenced to 15 years supervised release, fined $400 ($200 per count), and ordered to pay a
$200 special assessment fee.
According to the stipulation of facts agreed to by the parties, Jansen attempted to persuade,
induce, entice, and coerce two victims he knew to be under the age of 18, to engage in sexual
activity. Jansen contacted the victims using a cellular phone and the internet. The acts occurred
between October 27, 2017, and November 25, 2018.
Evidence adduced at sentencing was that Jansen would often initiate contact with females, the
majority of whom were minors, and within a short time, ask to set up a meeting. The investigation
revealed instances of this behavior in several cities in the Metro East area.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May
2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and
abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child
Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and
local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and
to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood,
please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety
education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case was investigated by the O’Fallon, Illinois, Police Department and the United States Secret
Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott prosecuted the case.