A former Shreveport radio newscaster has pleaded guilty to using the Internet to attempt to entice a minor to engage in sexual conduct. 38-year-old Michael Sieve pleaded guilty to the charge in U. S. District Court today. Sieve faces a maximum of 30 years in prison without parole, a $250,000 fine, or both. Sentencing has been set for July 12 at 10 am in federal court. Sieve, whose last known on-air job was as a newscaster for KEEL Radio, was indicted by a grand jury on three counts of Internet enticement. Two of the counts were dropped in exchange for his guilty plea. Sieve’s arrest took place in an undercover sting operation at Columbia Park. According to the U. S. Attorney's office in Shreveport, testimony at the hearing today established that Sieve contacted an undercover police officer, who was posing as a 14-year old girl on the Internet and began chatting with her. The U. S. Attorney says Sieve propositioned the “minor female” to engage in sexually explicit conduct with him and asked if she had any friends that would join them to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Sieve allegedly asked to meet both undercover police officers who were posing as minors and friends of the 14-year old female. Authorities say Sieve agreed to meet them to engage in sexually explicit conduct in a group setting involving all three minors. According to the U. S. Department of justice, the case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from on-line exploitation and abuse. The project uses federal, state and local resources to prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, go to
projectsafeneighborhood.gov
