"This case serves as an important reminder that criminals are increasingly using the Internet to prey upon our children. Online activities that may seem harmless are now being used to lure young victims," said McCollum. "Fortunately, this child was returned home safely, thanks to the commitment of cooperating law enforcement agencies."
Lenz, 26, met the girl through a computer game and after soliciting her for sex over the Internet, convinced her to leave New Hampshire and travel to meet him in Florida. The girl was intercepted in South Carolina and returned to her home in New Hampshire, through the coordinated efforts of the Attorney General's Office, the FBI Cybercrime Task-Force in Jacksonville and New Hampshire, as well as the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida, the New Hampshire Police Department, the Clarendon County Sheriff's Office of South Carolina, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Lenz used "grooming" techniques to gain the child's trust and lure the victim to his home. Grooming is a behavior where the Internet predator attempts to demonstrate that he is closer in age to the child in order for the child to feel more comfortable with the online communication. By creating a false sense of trust conveyed by a "common age," the person breaks down the child's suspicions and defenses.
