CHARLOTTE, NC – A federal jury has convicted a Texas man on multiple counts after prosecutors said he traveled to North Carolina to engage in criminal conduct involving a minor he met online.

Rusty Joseph Whittaker, 44, of Austin, was found guilty of traveling to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, enticement of a child, and production of illegal material. The verdict came after a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr.

Evidence presented in court showed Whittaker initially met the victim on an anonymous chat application before moving the communications to Snapchat. Prosecutors said he pressured the victim to meet in person, using messaging platforms, online payment services, and gifts. On May 20, 2023, he traveled from Nashville, Tennessee, to Charlotte,

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