A Lancaster man, who escaped law enforcement's grasp mid-trial by severing his ankle monitor, was convicted in absentia for the production and possession of child pornography and enticing a minor, the Department of Justice reported today. According to the DOJ's announcement, Gregory Cole Jr., 30, was found guilty late Thursday on multiple counts, including one for producing child pornography, one for enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, and one for receiving child pornography.
Presenting a case that shook the courtroom Cole’s actions, during March and April of 2024, involved manipulating a 16-year-old girl through Instagram direct messages to send sexually explicit images, law enforcement officials delved into the defendant's social media activities and uncovered a slew of incriminating messages and demands for child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The discovery followed after the victim's mother stumbled upon the disturbing interaction between Cole and her daughter, which prompted the subsequent deletion of Cole's Instagram account in a futile bid to dissolve his digital tracks.
Now considered a fugitive, United States District Judge Percy Anderson has issued a bench warrant for Cole's arrest, having also revoked his bond, which was disclosed in a statement from Ciaran McEvoy, the Public Information Officer for the Justice Department. McEvoy's statement comes on the heels of a three-day trial, where the court peeled back layers of digital correspondence to reveal a pattern of predatory behavior from Cole, to which the jury responded with their verdict.
Cole, should he be apprehended, faces a harsh tidal wave of legal consequences including a mandatory minimum of 15 years and the potential for a life sentence in federal prison; this sentencing looms large over a man who now occupies the haunting status of ghost in the eyes of the law, his whereabouts unknown. Assistant United States Attorneys J’me K. Forrest and Derek R. Flores of the Violent and Organized Crime Section, tasked with prosecuting the complex and socially repugnant case, have underscored the serious nature of these crimes and the urgency in bringing Cole to justice, as recounted by McEvoy's office.
