Grand jury indicts Illinois man for having sex with minor in PH

CLAIR COUNTY, Illinois – A Cahokia, Illinois man pleaded not guilty to the charge that he traveled to the Philippines in 2018 to have sex with a 14-year-old girl.

A grand jury indicted Joseph Fuchs, 53, earlier this month. His trial is set to begin on June 15.

The federal charges allege that Fuchs enticed the girl to have sex with him through a series of Facebook chat sessions from 2017 to 2019. He is also accused of sending her more than $1,000 in PayPal and Xoom payments during that time, according to a Fox News report.

If convicted, Fuchs could face at least 10 years and up to life in prison. All three charges are also punishable by a fine of up to $250,000.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.