Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that MICHAEL NASTU, 62, of Bridgeport, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with multiple child exploitation offenses.
Following his arrest, Nastu appeared via videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti and is currently detained.
As alleged in the complaint, in March 2021, Nastu, using the Kik social media application, initiated a chat with an FBI Online Covert Employee who was posing as a 14-year-old female from Connecticut. Between March 31 and June 25, 2021, Nastu sent the OCE sexually explicit messages and several pictures and videos of male genitalia, and he attempted to entice the OCE to send him child pornography in return. Nastu and the OCE had multiple text exchanges about meeting in person to engage in sexually activity, but Nastu ultimately decided not to meet the OCE due to the risk of being caught.
The complaint charges Nastu with attempted transfer of obscene materials to a minor, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years; attempted receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; and attempted enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that a criminal complaint is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nancy V. Gifford and Amanda S. Oakes.
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