JONATHAN TURLEY

There has been much talk in the last few years about the federalization of child porn stings — once viewed as a largely state area. However, the DOJ has worked with the FBI in going after child predators. Given all of the media attention to internet stings, therefore, it was especially shocking this morning to learn that a federal prosecutor had been nabbed trying to arrange sex with a five-year-old girl on the internet. The internet communications, if true, present a damaging and sickening picture of a predator in the midst of federal law enforcement. For the story, click here His only possible defense would be entrapment given the use of a fake mother arranging this encounter. However, such defenses have been uniformly rejected in other cases.