ALBANY, NEW YORK – Daniel Higgs, age 39, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, was arrested yesterday and charged with attempting to entice a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The complaint alleges that between January 2022 and June 29, 2022, Higgs exchanged messages with two individuals, one posing as a parent of a 10-year-old daughter and the other as the guardian of a 12-year-old girl. Higgs discussed plans to travel from Michigan in order to engage in sexual acts with the minors. On June 29, 2022, Higgs flew from Kalamazoo to Albany where he was encountered by the FBI and arrested. The allegations in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The charge filed against Higgs carries a term of imprisonment of at least 10 years and potentially up to life, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dustin C. Segovia.
This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice/gov/psc/.