Mass. man gets prison time for traveling to NH with intent to have sex with minor, feds say
A Massachusetts man has been sentenced to federal prison for traveling to New Hampshire for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual intercourse with a minor.
Arthur Picanco, 43, of Bradford, Massachusetts, was sentenced to 7 years in federal prison and 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan said Monday. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Samantha Elliott imposed the sentence.
Picanco previously pleaded guilty to traveling with the intent to engage in unlawful sexual conduct.
“Individuals who cross state lines to abuse children in New Hampshire will be found, prosecuted and held accountable,” Creegan said. “The defendant intentionally traveled from Massachusetts to New Hampshire for the purpose of purchasing sex from someone he believed to be underage. Today’s significant sentence recognizes the seriousness of his conduct.”
Special Agent in Charge Michael Krol of Homeland Security Investigations in New England echoed Creegan’s words.
“Picanco chose to actively stalk a child. He believed he was chatting with a trafficker who offered him the chance to attack a child for a fee, and he made deliberate choices to carry out this,” Krol said in a statement. “He agreed on a price, drove to New Hampshire, and returned with cash in hand. Now, after today’s sentencing, he will face serious federal prison time.”
“Through undercover operations like this, we can find and arrest child predators before they have a chance to prey on actual children,” Krol said.
On Nov. 14, 2024, in a proactive law enforcement operation, agents posted and monitored an ad on a website commonly used to advertise commercial sex, Creegan said.
The ad included pictures of two underage women and a contact phone number.
Law enforcement monitored the phone line and used it to contact potential sex buyers, including Picanco, prosecutors said. Picanco arranged to pay $100 to have sex with a person Picanco believed was a 14-year-old girl.
The undercover agent then gave Picanco the address of a hotel in Manchester, and Picanco traveled from Massachusetts to New Hampshire to the hotel, prosecutors said.
When Picanco arrived at the hotel, he confirmed that he had money and asked to go up to the hotel room to meet the 14-year-old girl.
When police arrested Picanco, they found he had condoms and more than $100 in cash in his pocket, prosecutors said.
This is an evolving story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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