A Fresno County man, Michael Dickens, 59, from Clovis was handed a 12.5-year prison sentence for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, as announced by U.S. Attorney Eric Grant. Following his prison term, Dickens faces 15 years of supervised release. The sentencing took place under U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston, and Dickens' conviction stemmed from his attempts to solicit a minor for sexual activity—conversations which occurred between October 21 and October 30, 2020, and involved a person Dickens believed was a 12-year-old child.
In the sting operation, which caught Dickens using his cellphone and social media to communicate his intentions, it turned out he was speaking to an undercover law enforcement officer. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Dickens also transmitted explicit images and a video of his genitalia to the officer he assumed was a minor. Upon arriving at a prearranged location in anticipation of meeting the child, law enforcement apprehended Dickens.
The probe into Dickens' activities was a joint effort between Homeland Security Investigations and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. The case was brought to the courts with the help of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany M. Gunter and Arin C. Heinz, who managed the prosecution against Dickens.
This recent development is a cog in the much larger wheel of Project Safe Childhood, a comprehensive program launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006. The initiative aims to combat the widespread issue of child sexual exploitation and abuse. With the collective effort of U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, the project consolidates efforts from federal, state, and local agencies to track down and bring to justice those guilty of exploiting children, and equally important, to assist in the rescue of victims. For further details about Project Safe Childhood, and in order to access resources for internet-safety education, the public can visit their website.
