Federal authorities have charged a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for allegedly setting up a sexual encounter with a mother and her two underage daughters.
However, the mother Yaron Segal, 30, thought he was talking with online was actually a federal agent.
Segal was charged with travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and travel with intent to engage in a sexual act with a person under 12 years of age, according to court documents.
Segal’s attorney, Rick Kornfeld, said his client plans to challenge the allegations and charges.
“God is in the details of the facts and I haven’t had the opportunity, nor has he, to review those yet,” Kornfeld said today.
Kornfeld also said that Segal has no prior criminal history and served in the Israel Defense Force.
Segal allegedly flew to Colorado Wednesday for the rendezvous with the mother. Federal authorities met him instead.
A federal complaint alleges that Segal, an Israeli citizen and Yale graduate, started chatting with the agent while both were in chat rooms named “childslavesex” and “childrapetorturebrutality.”
The agent, using an under cover persona, said she had two daughters, one under 16 years old and another under 12 years old.
“The suspect immediately turned the conversation to sex, and indicated that he wanted to have sexual intercourse with the UC persona and both of her children,” according to the federal complaint.
Over several months, the agent and Segal exchanged e-mails and text messages. He allegedly sent messages that were sexually graphic and talked about purchasing dildos.
Agents last month received information from a subpoena of the Internet Protocal address Segal was using to chat.
“IP information indicated the account was opened in New Haven, Connecticut and was recently used in Cambridge, Massachusetts,” according to court documents.
Segal’s LinkedIn account said he is a postdoctoral associate at a lab at MIT.
Each charge carries up to 30 years in jail and fines of $250,000.
