Canadian Man Convicted of Traveling to Have Sex with an 11-Year-Old Girl and Possession of Child Pornography

Defendant Caught in Undercover Operation

ATLANTA—A jury in federal district court today returned a guilty verdict against BRIAN SCHUMAKER, 54, of Mississagua, Ontario, Canada, on charges of traveling across state lines to engage in sexual activity with a child under the age of 12, attempting to entice a child to engage in sexual activity, and possession of child pornography.

United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said, “This defendant, who has five daughters himself, came to our community with the intent of sexually exploiting an 11-year-old girl. Alert law enforcement involved in an undercover operation knew he was coming and arrested him. Now, after a four-day trial, a federal jury has convicted him on all charges. We will continue to investigate and prosecute those who choose to commit these types of crimes in this district, and commend the FBI and the Alpharetta Police Department for their fine work on the Safe Child Task Force.”

According to United States Attorney Yates and the evidence presented at trial: From July 3, 2007 until August 3, 2007, through a series of Internet chats, SCHUMAKER used the Internet to try to arrange a meeting with a child under the age of 12 for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity. During the week of July 31, 2007, he traveled by car from Ontario, Canada to Atlanta to meet the child and attend a business conference at the Georgia World Congress Center. After SCHUMAKER’s arrest, law enforcement recovered child pornography from his laptop computer and phone device depicting the sexual abuse, rape, and molestation of very young children.

There was no actual child in this case. Instead, the online chats were part of a joint law enforcement undercover operation. SCHUMAKER communicated on the Internet with an undercover task force officer from the Alpharetta (Georgia) Police Department who was posing as an 11-year-old girl and her “mother.” On August 3, 2007, SCHUMAKER was arrested by FBI agents and Alpharetta officers at the location where he had arranged to meet the “mother.” Evidence introduced at trial showed that defendant boasted during chat sessions about having sex with girls as young as 12 years old in Canada. SCHUMAKER, a father of five girls, also expressed his desire to molest his own girls if he could hide the abuse from his wife.

SCHUMAKER could receive a maximum sentence of life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.00. Sentencing has not been scheduled. In determining the actual sentence, the court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.

This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

This case was investigated by task force agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and officers with the Alpharetta Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey A. Brown is prosecuting the case.

For further information please contact Sally Q. Yates, United States Attorney, or Charysse L. Alexander, Executive Assistant United States Attorney, through Patrick Crosby, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney’s Office, at (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is justice.gov/usao/gan.