Staff Reports
A non-binary artist was arrested after he tried to rape a 9-year-old boy. He was caught after he had been communicating with undercover FBI agents.
The Department of Justice stated that the suspect, Efrem Zelony-Mindell, started communicating with the undercover agents through an encrypted messaging site. He repeatedly expressed his desire to have sex with children. The undercover agent was then sent numerous images and videos of child pornography.
During this period, the suspect had also communicated with an undercover agent who pretended to be the father of a child.
According to the Department of Justice, Zelony-Mindell explicitly stated that he wanted to have sex with the boy, who was nine years old.
The agency claimed that the defendant explicitly stated that he wanted to perform sexual activities, such as anal sex, with the undercover agent's son. The agent then reportedly told Zelony-Mindell about having his child drugged, and the suspect agreed to do so.
The two men reportedly met on a street corner on Friday in New York City. They then planned to meet at an apartment where the suspect would have sex with the child.
Zelony-Mindell was then arrested by an undercover agent after they agreed to meet at a location in lower Manhattan.
In a statement, US Attorney Damian Williams stated that the office takes the protection of children very seriously. He thanked his department's law enforcement partners for their efforts in apprehending the suspect.
Performing sexual intercourse with a person who is incapable of giving consent is considered a form of statutory rape.
According to Michael Driscoll, an FBI assistant director, the defendant's actions were considered "nearly unthinkable".
Driscoll stated that "the arrest of the suspect, as well as other similar cases, serves as a reminder to anyone who would like to prey on children. The FBI and its partners will continue to pursue these individuals and hold them accountable."
The preceding is a summary of an article that originally appeared on Daily Wire.
