ST. GEORGE — A Nevada man arrested in Washington County during an undercover operation was sentenced in federal court for traveling to meet a juvenile for sex.
James Allen Wynhoff, 37, of Las Vegas, appeared in District Court in St. George for sentencing on one felony count of traveling to engage in sexual acts with a minor after he pleaded guilty to the charge Jan. 28 before U.S. District Judge David Nuffer.
Wynhoff was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison. After his release, he will be placed on supervised release for a term of 20 years with special conditions.
The court also ordered the defendant to undergo a “Residential Drug Abuse Program,” an intensive nine-month, 500-hour substance abuse rehabilitation program administered by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, as well as sex offender treatment.
The judge recommended that Wynhoff be imprisoned at a federal facility in either Englewood, Colorado, or in Segoville, Texas, two facilities that provide both drug and sex offender treatment programs. He was turned over to the U.S. Marshals Service to be transported to the designated prison facility.
Wynhoff was one of seven men arrested in November after a sting operation was conducted by the Utah Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Washington County Attorney’s Office.
Read more: Police arrest 7 men accused of attempting to meet boys, girls for sex
During the five-day operation, the defendants believed they were speaking to a juvenile boy or girl online, but they were actually communicating with undercover agents, according to court records. They were arrested by authorities when they reached the location where they allegedly thought they were meeting with a juvenile.
Wynhoff was charged in state court with a second-degree felony related to enticing a minor as well as felony and misdemeanor drug offenses.
In January, Wynhoff was charged in federal court with one count of traveling to engage in sexual acts with a minor after he crossed state lines to commit the offense, at which time the state charges were dismissed.
St. George News senior reporter Mori Kessler contributed to this report.
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