SANTA ANA, California – A convicted sex offender from Long Beach was sentenced this morning to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to attempted sex trafficking of a child for responding to an online advertisement that offered sex with a 15-year-old girl in exchange for $200.

Victor James Sporman, 47, was sentenced by United States District Judge James V. Selna. Once he completes the prison sentence, Sporman will be on supervised release for the rest of his life.

The case against Sporman is the result of an undercover operation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigation (HSI). Authorities were conducting an anti-sex trafficking operation in Long Beach and posted an advertisement on the Craigslist website that was designed to attract individuals interested in engaging in sex acts with minors.

On October 26, 2016 Sporman responded to the advertisement via e-mail and subsequently engaged in a series of text messages with an undercover agent he thought was a 15-year-old girl, according to court documents. Sporman agreed to pay $200 to engage in sex with the “girl.” Sporman repeatedly texted photographs of himself, money and his genitals. In preparation for the encounter on December 6, Sporman purchased condoms. When Sporman arrived at the hotel to have the sexual encounter with the girl, Sporman had approximately $200 in his possession, as well as two condoms. He was arrested at the scene.

Sporman engaged in nearly identical conduct in 2008 when he was caught in an undercover sting attempting to have sex with a 13-year-old girl.

Sporman “was given every opportunity to address his sexual attraction to children, and he did nothing,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “Instead, he continued to troll the internet looking for additional victims.”

The case against Sporman is the product on an investigation by HSI's Los Angeles Human Smuggling and Trafficking Group, which received substantial assistance from the Long Beach Police Department.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lana Morton-Owens of the Violent and Organized Crime Section. Assistant United States Attorney Terrence Mann of the Santa Ana Branch Office handled today's sentencing hearing.

Component(s): USAO – California, Central

Contact: Thom Mrozek Spokesperson/Public Affairs Officer United States Attorney's Office Central District of California (Los Angeles) 213-894-6947

Press Release Number: 17-160 Updated September 11, 2017

Central District of California DOJ / 17-160 / September 11, 2017