A Raleigh man was arrested on federal charges of soliciting a minor online and producing sexual abuse material involving an infant, federal officials said Tuesday.
FBI Director Kash Patel, on March 11, praised the teams at the FBI's Charlotte, Buffalo, and Omaha offices for acting quickly to save a 13-year-old girl and a 7-month-old baby from an alleged abuser.
Andrew Swenson, 42, was taken into custody by FBI agents in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, after a U.S. magistrate judge approved a criminal complaint, allowing the FBI to obtain a federal warrant, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
The complaint alleges Swenson coerced a minor online to produce sexually explicit material and traveled to abuse another child, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Investigators said Swenson contacted a 13-year-old girl online after another criminal advertised her for sexual abuse. Swenson communicated with the girl through messaging platforms Zangi and Discord and persuaded her to send explicit images, according to the complaint.
“He made plans to drive to her home in Nebraska, pick her up, and bring her to North Carolina to continue to sexually abuse her,” stated the U.S. Attorney’s Office in a press release.
“The FBI executed a search warrant at Swenson’s residence. His roommate reported that Swenson routinely travels out of town to have sex with what Swenson claimed were women,” the office wrote, adding that investigators found bags containing rope, zip ties, and duct tape in Swenson’s bedroom.
The FBI also discovered that Swenson had recently met a woman online who had an infant child, traveled to New York to visit her, and produced images and videos showing him sexually abusing the baby.
“Those who prey on children and solicit them to produce child abuse sexual material are morally reprehensible and will be held accountable for their heinous crimes,” said Reid Davis, special agent in charge of the FBI in North Carolina. “The FBI remains committed to protecting our children.”
Swenson is charged with coercion and enticement of a minor and production of child pornography. All charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life, according to federal prosecutors.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI with assistance from the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, Raleigh Police Department, and Apex Police Department.