Guilty Plea Entered In Child Porn Case With Enfield Origin
ENFIELD, CT — A Bristol man pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of soliciting child pornography, in a federal case which originated in Enfield more than two years ago involving a then-15-year-old girl.
Jeffrey L. Bacon, 61, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna F. Martinez. The hearing was conducted via videoconference due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
On Nov. 19, 2018, Bacon was originally charged by Enfield police with enticing a minor by computer and risk of injury to a child, both felonies. He was released on a $75,000 surety bond, according to judicial records.
According to an affidavit supporting Bacon's arrest, as well as court documents and statements made in court, police had been contacted by the girl's mother on Oct. 22, 2018, shortly after she had discovered her daughter had been receiving messages "from an older man" using the name Jeff Smith through a messenger group on the Kik application called Connecticut Teens. The man sent the girl three photos of himself; two were of his face, and a third showed "his genitals as he engaged in a sexual act."
In an attempt to identify the man, the mother allowed her daughter to remain in contact with "Smith," and the teen persuaded him to send her a picture of a utility bill, which showed his actual name and address, according to the affidavit.
On Oct. 30, 2018, a law enforcement officer assumed the girl's Kik identity to continue to correspond with Bacon. Bacon asked the undercover officer, posing as the girl, to remind him of her age, and the officer responded, "15." Over the next three days, Bacon repeatedly sent sexually explicit pictures and videos of himself to the undercover officer, and also requested sexually explicit pictures in return, Durham said.
During their conversations, Bacon asked the undercover officer if he could pick her up from school so he could see her, and suggested they go to a mall where the girl could try on clothes while Bacon watched and engaged in a sexual act. Bacon also discussed going to a motel with the girl to engage in sexual acts with her, Durham said.
Upon being contacted by police, Bacon admitted asking the teen to meet him to go shopping. His cell phone was seized, and police found the photos which had been sent to the girl. It was also discovered that he had been frequenting multiple underage chat rooms, according to the affidavit.
Due to the use of the internet, the case crossed into federal jurisdiction, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation brought the federal charge against Bacon, Enfield Police Chief Alaric Fox said.
"The case originated in Enfield and one of our detectives was the lead investigator," Fox told Patch. "His investigation resulted in an arrest warrant being signed by [an Enfield Superior Court judge] for state charges."
During a subsequent forensic examination of Bacon's laptop computer, investigators found images of child pornography, including images depicting prepubescent females engaged in sexual acts with adults, Durham said. Bacon was arrested on the federal charge on July 26, 2019.
Bacon is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant on March 3, 2021, at which time he faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and maximum term of 20 years. He is free on a $100,000 bond and is under electronic monitoring pending sentencing, Durham said.
State judicial records indicate the original charges against Bacon are still pending, with his next court date slated for Jan. 11, 2021. It is unclear whether those charges will be dropped in lieu of his guilty plea to the federal charge.
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This article originally appeared on the Enfield Patch
