Following a jury trial on August 22, 2019, Travis Sammeth, 35, of Newburgh, was convicted of Attempted Rape in the Second Degree.
On September 8, 2019, Sammeth made contact with an undercover police officer through an online website. He expressed interest in having sexual contact with a 14-year-old girl and made arrangements to meet with who he believed to be the 14-year-old girl and her stepfather. When Sammeth arrived at the designated location, the Hudson Valley Mall, he was arrested. In reaching their verdict, the jury found that Sammeth had the intent to engage in sexual intercourse with a minor and that his conduct came dangerously close to completing that intent.
The case stemmed from a three-day operation carried out in Ulster County by the FBI and New York State Police Child Exploitation Task Force in conjunction with members of the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office. The operation targeted individuals who pursued sexual contact with minors via social media. The operation, here in Ulster County, led to eight arrests, seven of which led to felony convictions.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced November 1, 2019. The defendant was represented by Benjamin Oster, Esq. The prosecution was handled by Assistant District Attorney Timothy Lawson.
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