VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — A Virginia Beach man was convicted Thursday on several charges related to the attempted sex trafficking of a minor.
Daniel Puff, 38, was found guilty by a federal jury on charges of attempted coercion and enticement, attempted sex trafficking of a minor, obstruction of justice, and false statement to law enforcement officer, according to a release from the Department of Justice.
Prosecutors say that Puff thought he was negotiating with the mother of a teenage girl, but it was an undercover agent. The investigation into Puff began on March 29, 2022, when he contacted the agent and agreed to pay $60 for a sex act from who he thought was a 13-year-old, prosecutors said.
He met up the next day with the undercover agent in Chesapeake, and checked the area for law enforcement. When he gave $60 to the agent and shared the sex act he wanted to engage in with the child, he was immediately arrested.
Prosecutors say while handcuffed in the back of the police vehicle, he deleted the texting application he was using and falsely claimed he was attempting to text someone.
Puff now faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. He’s set to be sentenced on June 22.