SOUTH BEND – Joshua Pennington, 29 years old, of Reading, Ohio, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after pleading guilty to online enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Pennington was sentenced to 136 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release. When released from prison, he will be required to register as a sex offender.
According to documents in the case, beginning in September of 2018, Pennington began contacting a minor through social media. The minor eventually agreed to meet Pennington, who traveled from Ohio to Indiana in January of 2019. Pennington picked up the minor and drove to a church parking lot, where they engaged in sexual activity. When a police officer approached his car, Pennington directed the minor to tell the officer he/she was over the age of 18.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lafayette Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John M. Maciejczyk.
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