United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force: MASSACHUSETTS MAN SENTENCED FOR USING INTERNET TO ENTICE MINOR TO ENGAGE IN SEX

Kevin J. O'Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BASIL E. DOUCETTE III, 39, of Dracut, Massachusetts, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 63 months imprisonment, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, following his conviction for using the internet to attempt to persuade and entice a minor to engage in sexual activity.

According to remarks made by the Government in court, DOUCETTE engaged in internet chat discussions with what he believed was a thirteen year old girl. In the course of those chat discussions, he expressed an interest in photographing the girl and engaging in sexual relations with her. On Friday, November 21, 2003, DOUCETTE traveled to Connecticut to meet the girl. He was arrested that evening at a hotel in Farmington, where he had registered. When agents searched his hotel room, they discovered photographic equipment, bondage paraphernalia, condoms, and lubricants. Under federal law, adults are prohibited from engaging in any sexual act with persons who have not attained the age of eighteen years. DOUCETTE pleaded guilty on January 22, 2004.

When DOUCETTE completes his term of imprisonment, Judge Thompson ordered him to abide by a series of special conditions while on supervised release. The conditions include requirements that DOUCETTE be subject to polygraph examinations after he is released; that his access to the internet be subject to monitoring by the United States Probation Office; that he have no unsupervised contact with minors; that he not loiter near parks, playgrounds, video arcades, or other locations frequented by minors; and that he agree that his premises or vehicles be subject to search by probation officers. DOUCETTE could be returned to prison if he were to violate any of these conditions.

Judge Thompson noted that one of DOUCETTE's character references had written a letter to the court, lamenting the existence of the mandatory minimum five-year sentence that applied in this case. Judge Thompson stated that no one should believe that the mandatory minimum term was forcing the result in the case, saying "I do not feel handicapped by the need to impose a mandatory minimum sentence."

"With the continued cooperation between all levels of law enforcement, this Office will investigate and vigorously prosecute all who use the internet to prey upon children," U.S. Attorney O'Connor stated. "This harsh sentence and the strict terms of supervised release should serve as a warning to all internet predators: Get mental health counseling quickly or prepare yourself to spend a very long time in federal prison."

U.S. Attorney O'Connor noted that this case resulted from the cooperative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's multi-agency Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force, and praised all of its members, including agents from the FBI, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Chief State's Attorney's Office, Defense Criminal Investigation Service, United States Secret Service, and detectives from the Glastonbury, Madison, New Britain, and Milford Police Departments. Assistant United States Attorney John A. Danaher III prosecuted the case.

The Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force was formed in February 2003 to investigate crimes occurring over the internet. These crimes include computer intrusion, internet fraud, copyright violations, internet threats and harassment and on-line crimes against children. The Task Force also provides computer forensic review services for participating agencies. The Task Force is housed in the main FBI office in New Haven, Connecticut. For more information about the Task Force, please contact the FBI at 203-777-6311 or via e-mail at ifcc.nh@fbi.gov.

CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov