A federal grand jury in Bowling Green has returned indictments charging a Utica man and a Georgetown, Indiana, man with federal child exploitation offenses. The charges were the result of a joint federal, state, and local operation called Operation Angel, aimed at making federal arrests of individuals who prey upon children in the Owensboro area, according to officials.
According to court documents, 41-year-old Timothy Richard Simone, of Utica, is charged with attempted enticement of a minor and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. He faces not less than 10 years’ imprisonment for the enticement charge, and not more than 10 years’ imprisonment for the obscenity charge. The maximum penalty Simone faces is life imprisonment.
Bradley Linderman, 34, of Georgetown, is also charged with travelling across state lines with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, attempted enticement of a minor, and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. He faces not less than 10 years’ imprisonment for the enticement charge, not more than 30 years’ imprisonment for the charge of interstate travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, and not more than 10 years’ imprisonment for the obscenity charge. The maximum penalty Linderman faces is life imprisonment.
If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence imposed upon Simone and Linderman after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors, according to officials.
Simone and Linderman are scheduled to be arraigned in Owensboro on Nov. 23 before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Brent Brennenstuhl of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky.
The United States Secret Service, Kentucky Office of the Attorney General, Kentucky State Police, and the Owensboro Police Department are investigating the cases.
Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Spencer McKiness is prosecuting the cases.
The charges were announced Monday by Michael A. Bennett, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, and United States Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Robert Holman of the Louisville Field Office.
