Massachusetts Man Charged in Federal Court for Exploitation of a Minor

PROVIDENCE – On July 9, 2026, a Massachusetts man was charged federally for allegedly attempting to entice a person he believed to be a 14-year-old female to engage in sexual activity and travelling to Rhode Island to meet her. Jung H. Nam, 35, is charged with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and possession and receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). He made his initial appearance in federal court on the complaint on July 29, 2026. According to an affidavit filed in support of a criminal complaint, in July 2025, an East Providence Police Detective assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force initiated an undercover online investigation using a social application. The detective, posing as a minor, engaged in conversations with a user later identified as Nam. During these communications, Nam allegedly discussed plans to meet for sexual activity, and thereafter, traveled to Warwick, Rhode Island to meet her. On July 7, 2025, after arranging a meeting in Warwick, Nam arrived at the agreed‑upon location, where he was taken into custody by members of the ICAC Task Force. He was initially charged in Rhode Island District Court, and later, in January 2026, in Kent County Superior Court. Those state charges remain pending. During a state‑authorized search of Nam’s cell phone, investigators located multiple images and videos of CSAM, including of prepubescent minors. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Denise M. Barton. The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the ICAC Task Force, and the Rhode Island State Police. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.