Meridian Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Coercion and Enticement

BOISE – Bruce Eugene Froman, 41, of Meridian, pleaded guilty yesterday in United States District Court to attempted coercion and enticement, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced.  As part of his plea, Froman also agreed to forfeit the cell phone used in the commission of the charged offense.

According to the plea agreement, in March of 2018, detectives with the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force posted an advertisement on Craigslist stating a mother and daughter were looking for a “mature man for play.”  Froman responded to the advertisement.  An ICAC detective represented himself to be a 35-year-old woman with a 15-year-old daughter “looking for a respectful man to come and teach her some stuff.”  Froman stated his desire to have sexual contact with the 15-year-old.  Froman made numerous statements to the purported mother and the 15-year-old daughter attempting to persuade, induce, and entice the 15-year-old to engage in sexual contact.

Froman agreed to come to the residence of the purported 15-year-old to engage in sexual contact with her.  When he arrived at the residence, detectives arrested him.  They seized a cell phone from his vehicle, and later discovered the text messages between Froman and the purported mother and daughter.  Froman admitted he “gave into his deviant thoughts,” and admitted sending messages indicating his intent to engage in sexual contact with a 15-year-old.

Sentencing is set for August 14, 2018, before Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise.

Attempted coercion and enticement is punishable by not less than 10 years and up to life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than five years and up to life, and a $5,100 special assessment.

This case was investigated as part of a joint operation conducted by the Department of Homeland Security, the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the United States Attorney’s Office, the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office, the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, the Boise Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, the Canyon County Prosecutor’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Garden City Police Department, the United States Marshal’s Service, and the United States Postal Inspectors Service.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal 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.”