Wisconsin Sex Offender Sentenced To 45 Years For Enticing And Coercing A Minor To Engage In Sexual Activity And Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material

Tampa, Florida - U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Mohammad Ali Hemmat (29, Milwaukee) to 45 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity, production of child sexual abuse material, traveling on two occasions from Wisconsin to Florida for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with a minor, and committing these offenses while required to register as a sex offender in Wisconsin. The court also ordered Hemmat to forfeit electronic devices, which were used in the commission of the offense, and to register as a sex offender. A federal jury found Hemmat guilty in April 2024.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, between April 2022 and March 2023, Hemmat used his cellphone and computer to sexually groom a 12-year-old girl in Florida. Hemmat groomed this child through daily social media video chats, text message conversations, and by sending her cash, gifts, and fast food. Hemmat shared obscene material with this child through social media applications, and he used a social media platform to remote log-in to the child victim's laptop-which he had purchased for her-to search for sexually explicit topics, images, and videos. The victim subsequently sent child sexual abuse images of herself to Hemmat over the internet.

In February 2023, Hemmat drove from Wisconsin to Florida for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with the child. In March 2023, Hemmat drove to Florida a second time for the same purpose, but law enforcement was alerted to his presence by the victim. Although Hemmat attempted to return to Wisconsin without detection, law enforcement officers apprehended him in Indiana. Evidence presented at trial also showed that Hemmat had engaged similar tactics in grooming a13-year-old child in the United Kingdom to send him sexually explicit images of herself. At the time Hemmat committed these offenses, he had a prior conviction for an offense involving a minor, requiring him to register as a sex offender in Wisconsin.

"The crime of sexually exploiting a child's vulnerability through manipulation and bribery demanded a severe consequence, and this 45-year sentence is evidence of justice served," said Homeland Security Investigations Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Micah McCombs. "Alongside our national and international law enforcement partners with the Pasco Sheriff's Office, Jasper (Indiana) County Sheriff's Office, the Sussex County (United Kingdom) Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service, this sentencing demonstrates a united front against such predatory behavior, and reflects our collective commitment to protect vulnerable individuals in our society."

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Pasco Sheriff's Office, the Jasper (Indiana) County Sheriff's Office, the Sussex County (United Kingdom) Police Department, and the United States Marshals Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ilyssa M. Spergel and Risha Asokan.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.