A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, man has been charged with using an internet-based chat application to entice a minor to engage in prostitution
Louis Goldenberg, 41, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is charged by complaint with one count of attempted online enticement of a minor to engage in prostitution.
Goldenberg made his initial appearance on Sept. 19, 2023, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sharon A. King in Camden federal court and was released on a $100,000 unsecured bond.
According to , U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger, documents filed in this case, and statements made in court, Goldenberg began interacting on a messaging application with an undercover agent, who was posing as a middle-aged woman with a 12-year-old niece.
From August through September 2023, Goldenberg messaged the undercover agent, continuously expressing interest in having sexual contact with the child.
During one of the conversations, Goldenberg indicated a specific hotel in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, where he wanted to have sex with the girl.
On Sept. 18, 2023, Goldenberg traveled from Pennsylvania to the Mt. Laurel hotel, where he had a reservation for that evening. When Goldenberg arrived, he was arrested.
The count of enticement carries a mandatory minimum term of incarceration of 10 years in prison, a potential maximum term of life in prison, and up to a $250,000 fine.