A 26-year-old wedding videographer from Somers was charged Tuesday with having illicit sexual contact with a 15-year-old local girl whom he brought to Massachusetts after meeting her on the popular Internet website MySpace.com.
Jason Palmeira was arrested at his residence by the FBI, Simsbury police and state police. He is charged with using the Internet to persuade a minor to engage in sexual activity and traveling in interstate commerce for the purpose of attempting to have, and having, illicit sexual conduct with a minor.
Palmeira was presented in U.S. District Court in Hartford and released after posting $100,000 bail. U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas P. Smith ordered Palmeira to reside with his parents at their home in Springfield. Smith also restricted Palmeira’s access to the Internet, according to a news release.
The federal arrest affidavit says the girl posted a message on the online networking website in June, saying she wanted to meet single guys in Connecticut who are under the age of 18. On June 21, Palmeira sent an e-mail saying he was 26 and the two began communicating through e-mails and the phone, according to authorities.
In July, the girl asked Palmeira if it was okay if the two did not engage in sex and Palmeira responded that they could do what she felt comfortable with, according to the affidavit. He talked with the girl about taking photographs of herself. On July 12, he sent her an e-mail saying he could get together over the next two days, according to the affidavit.
Palmeira traveled on July 13 from Massachusetts to Connecticut to meet the girl, picking her up in a green sports car. He drove the girl to Massachusetts, bringing her to a location he described as his girlfriend’s house, the affidavit says.
Once at the house, Palmeira is accused of having sexual contact with the girl, putting his finger in her vagina and driving her back to Connecticut, dropping her off at the Simsbury Public Library the following morning, according to the affidavit. He later sent an e-mail to her, saying that he hoped she didn’t get into too much trouble with her parents, that he was sorry and that he felt bad about cheating on his girlfriend. Several days later he e-mailed her, telling her to lie about her name and to call him.
Eventually, Palmeira was busted by the girl’s mom.
I wasn’t able to find his MySpace, but I did find his business site. I get the feeling that TLC will no longer be doing business with him.
Leave a Reply