….just what a Jerseyville resident did.
U.S. DISTRICT COURT, SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS—Timothy S. Griesemer, 40, of Jerseyville, Illinois was sentenced today in the U.S. District Court to 25 years in prison for Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Minor and Attempted Enticement of a Minor, United States Attorney Stephen R. Wigginton announced. Griesemer was also ordered to pay a $1200 fine and a $200 special assessment. When he is released from prison, he will be on federal supervised release for the remainder of his life. Griesemer was convicted of both counts on October 10, 2014 after a three-day jury trial.
Evidence presented at trial established that in October 2013, Griesemer sent several text messages to a female acquaintance indicating that he had a desire to obtain a minor child for the purposes of engaging in sexual acts with the child. The acquaintance called the Jerseyville Police Department to report the substance of the text messages. Jerseyville Police Department enlisted the assistance of agents from the Illinois State Police and the United States Secret Service who initiated an investigation. On October 10, 2013, Griesemer exchanged over 95 text messages with undercover agents during which Griesemer repeatedly stated his desire to pay money to engage in sexual acts with an eight (8) year old female.
During the text conversation, Griesemer agreed to meet at an apartment in Jerseyville for what he believed would be a meeting with the young child to engage in sexual acts. Griesemer arrived at the apartment, confirmed his intentions, and was arrested by law enforcement. During a search of Griesemer upon arrest, agents located a condom, two bottles of personal lubricant, a sexual device, and $311 in Griesemer’s pockets.
In pronouncing the sentence, the United States District Judge commented on the serious and heinous nature of the offense and the need to protect the public from future crimes of Griesemer, stating that Griesemer is a “sexual parasite, the treatment for which is a lengthy prison sentence.”
“I am grateful that a member of the public reported to law enforcement Griesemer’s text messages which revealed a plan to find a child to sexually violate. But for the actions of a conscientious citizen and dedicated law enforcement officers who immediately investigated the tip, this defendant would have been free to prey on innocent children,” United States Attorney Wigginton said.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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 investigation was conducted by the Illinois State Police, the United States Secret Service, and the Jerseyville Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ali Summers.