BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK –– Ithaca man Jeffrey Blake pled guilty to “attempted online enticement of a minor” this week after law enforcement caught him exchanging explicit messages with undercover agents and making plans to meet up.
As part of his guilty plea Blake, 50, admitted that between June 12, 2019 and August 23, 2019, he exchanged text messages with an undercover federal officer, “he believed was the mother of 9 and 13-year-old girls” in which he expressed his desire to meet the children and engage in illegal sexual activity. According to the announcement of the charges by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Blake also communicated by text with the undercover agent posing as each of the children.
Blake and the officer eventually made plans to meet up and on August 23, 2019, he drove to a pre-determined location in Broome County bringing with him sex devices and contraceptive as well as necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and stuffed animals that he planned to give to the children as gifts. Blake was arrested at the scene.
He now faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment for life, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of between five years and life. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
Sentencing is scheduled for September.