A Navy Petty Officer First Class was ensnared in an NCIS “To Catch a Predator” sting operation, where an NCIS agent impersonated a minor online seeking sexual conversations with adults. After interacting with the undercover agent, the Sailor went to the bait house equipped with condoms and was subsequently arrested and confessed to law enforcement.
He faced charges of attempted sexual assault, and the government swiftly proposed a plea agreement that included 24 months of confinement and a punitive discharge. Opting to fight the charges, the Sailor enlisted Tim Bilecki to defend him before a jury. Bilecki employed an entrapment defense.
Tim took the entrapment defense to the jury instead of accepting the government’s proposed guilty plea. The arrest and confession made this a difficult case, but the defense still contested whether the government had proved the charged attempted sexual assault.
The jury acquitted the Sailor of attempted sexual assault and convicted him of attempting a lewd act. His confinement was six months below the 24 months in the government’s proposed agreement. The trial produced a narrower conviction and less confinement than the offered resolution.
Prior results do not predict future outcomes.