UPDATE: Md. DOJ employee pleads guilty to sex with a minor charge
A former Maryland Department of Justice has pleaded guilty to charges, related to traveling across state lines, to have sex with a minor.
On Friday, 55-year-old James Cicala, of Columbia, Maryland has pleaded guilty to interstate travel with intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor. According to his plea agreement, Cicala was an employee at the U.S. Department of Justice, where he provided information technology support. Cicala owned a beach house in Fenwick Island, Delaware.
Investigators say between March 2015, and July 21, Cicala placed multiple ads in the Delaware, Maryland and District of Columbia editions of an online marketplace, looking for girls to engage in “daddy-daughter” relationships. On July 21, 2015, an undercover detective with the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office who was investigating child solicitation on the internet responded to Cicala’s ad entitled “Daddy’s Little Girl.” The undercover detective identified himself as “Sydney,” a 15-year-old girl, and Cicala identified himself, as a male in his late 40’s.
Cicala and the undercover detective posing as “Syndey” exchanged messages for several weeks, eventually agreeing to meet to engage in sexually explicit conduct. During their conversations, Cicala referred to himself as “Daddy.” Cicala promised to take “Sydney” on a shopping trip, and to bring a pair of earrings which “Sydney” had picked out at Cicala’s request. According to the plea agreement, the meeting was initially scheduled for August 1, 2015, and on that day, Cicala traveled from his beach house in Delaware to Berlin, Maryland, to meet “Sydney,” who did not show up, later claiming that she was with her Aunt and was unable to get away.
The texting continued and Cicala again made arrangements to meet Sydney on August 15, 2015, in Berlin. Many of the conversations Cicala had with the undercover officer occurred using Cicala’s DOJ-issued phone or work computer, sometimes during work hours. Cicala frequently attempted to engage “Sydney” in sexually explicit chat, instructing her to delete the message, and sent “Sydney” nude and partially nude photos of himself. However, throughout the text message exchanges “Sydney” refused to send sexually explicit photos or sexually explicit chat back.
On August 15, 2015, Cicala drove from his beach house in Delaware to Berlin, Maryland, to engage in sexual activity with “Sydney,” whom he believed to be a 15-year-old girl. He was arrested as he arrived at the meeting place. He had his DOJ issued cell phone, which he had used for sending and receiving the texts with “Sydney.” In his SUV was bedding, pillows, a giftwrapped box with the promised earrings, and cell phone batteries for the phone “Sydney” has told him she used. On August 17, 2015, Cicala was placed on administrative leave by the Department of Justice.
Cicala faces a maximum of 30 years in prison followed by up to lifetime of supervised release for traveling interstate to have sex with a minor. Sentencing is now set for August 25, 2016, at 10:00 AM.
