CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A 49-year-old man living in Massachusetts has been ordered to federal prison for nearly 34 years following multiple convictions of child exploitation after grooming and trying to meet with a George West child, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
On Nov. 18, 2021, U.S. District Judge David S. Morales found Ehab Sadeek guilty following a one-day bench trial.
Tuesday, Judge Morales the court sentenced Sadeek to 405 months (more than 33 years) in federal prison.
Calling the matter one of the most “egregious cases” before the court, Judge Morales considered the emotionally moving victim statements which described the trauma that Sadeek’s misconduct caused the minor and her family. The court noted how Sadeek “terrorized an innocent” in committing his crime.
Sadeek will also serve the rest of his life on supervised release following completion of his prison term, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender and pay restitution to the minor victim.
It was May 26, 2020 when law enforcement responded to a call about a suspicious individual walking near a residence in a rural area of Corpus Christi. They discovered Sadeek outside the victim’s home.
The investigation revealed that Sadeek had groomed the minor and sent sexually explicit messages via social media for approximately two weeks, officials said. He then traveled from Massachusetts to Texas with the intent to engage sexually with the girl.
Sadeek will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the George West Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Molly K. Smith and Dennis E. Robinson prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims.
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