ATLANTA – Yves Joseph Legault has been arraigned on federal charges of using the internet to entice a child for sexual activity and enticing the 13-year-old to engage in sexually explicit conduct over the internet. Legault traveled to Atlanta from his home in Canada with the alleged expectation of having sex with a minor.
“Legault is accused of communicating with a young girl on the internet for the purpose of engaging in illegal sexual activity with her,” said U. S. Attorney John Horn. “The FBI successfully intercepted Legault after he flew into the United States and before he could carry out his plan. Cases like this one demonstrate the continued importance for parents to engage with their kids about their activities on the Internet including the app’s they are using to chat, and the people with whom they are chatting.”
“The FBI stands ready to aggressively pursue those who would prey on our nation’s children. The FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children (VCAC) program, which consists of a network of specially trained FBI agents working with various local, state, federal, and even international partners, collectively carries out the important mission of protecting our children from those who would harm them. The investigation, arrest, and resulting federal charges involving Mr. Legault, a Canadian national, is an example of the great partnership and responsiveness of Canadian law enforcement authorities in helping the FBI carry out this mission,” said David J. LeValley, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office.
According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges, and other information presented in court: Beginning in approximately July of this year, Legault met a 13-year-old girl on Omegle, a free online and anonymous text and video chat tool. After moving their communications to another site, the defendant allegedly asked the teen to perform sexual acts on live video-streaming for him. Legault eventually arranged to travel from Canada to Atlanta, Georgia, in order to have sex with the girl.
On August 4, 2017, after crossing from Canada into the United States at the Buffalo-Niagra Falls Port of Entry, Legault’s flight from Buffalo, New York, was cancelled, forcing him to reschedule his trip to Atlanta. On August 11, 2017, Legault was arrested after flying from Toronto, Canada into Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson Airport allegedly for the purpose of engaging in sex with the teen. The 13-year-old girl’s mother had alerted agents with the FBI to the relationship after she intercepted a package Legault had sent her daughter from Canada.
Yves Joseph Legault, 53, of Ontario, Canada, was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 15, 2017, and was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Janet F. King.
