U.S. CONVICTS MUSICIAN OF USING THE INTERNET TO ATTEMPT
TO ENTICE MINOR GIRL TO ENGAGE IN SEXUAL ACTIVITY

MICHAEL J. GARCIA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the conviction in Manhattan federal court of DENNIS JOSEPH, a/k/a “Dennis Stevens,” a/k/a “DSax25,” for using the Internet to attempt to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. The defendant was convicted on the evening of Friday, July 14, 2006, following an eight-day jury trial before United States District Judge RICHARD OWEN.

The evidence at trial established that JOSEPH, using the Internet screen name “DSax25,” communicated over the Internet with a special agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) acting in an undercover capacity and posing as a thirteen-year old girl (“Julie”). From August 22, 2005, up to and including August 31, 2005, JOSEPH, who was 40 years-old at the time, initiated numerous Internet instant message conversations with and sent several e-mails to “Julie.”

According to the evidence at trial, JOSEPH’s purpose in these Internet communications was to entice and persuade “Julie” to engage in various sexual activities with him, including oral sex and intercourse. JOSEPH wrote to the girl that he would teach her about sex, including how to perform oral sex. He also described his career as a musician and wrote that he was a substitute musical performer in Sweet Charity, a Broadway musical. JOSEPH also e-mailed a photograph of himself to “Julie.” In addition, pursuant to JOSEPH’s request, “Juie” sent JOSEPH a picture purporting to be her. The picture was a real picture of a 13-year old girl. In one of his e-mails, JOSEPH arranged to meet “Julie” at a location in downtown Manhattan on August 31, 2005. The evidence at trial showed that, when Joseph appeared at the arranged time and meeting place, he was arrested by FBI agents.

The evidence at trial further established that, in July and August of 2005, JOSEPH attempted to entice someone else whom he also believed to be a 13 year-old girl, and with whom he exchanged over 40 Internet instant message conversations and emails.

JOSEPH resides in Manhattan. He is the president of Marty Stevens Music, a company that arranges musical performances for weddings, parties, and other occasions. JOSEPH, a career musician, has performed at Carnegie Hall and is an adjunct professor of music at Nassau Community College in Long Island, New York. JOSEPH also previously served as the conductor of various youth orchestras, including the Turtle Bay Youth Orchestra and the Junior Strings Orchestra at the Lucy Moses School in Manhattan.

Under the recently enacted PROTECT Act of 2003, JOSEPH faces a mandatory minimum of five years’ imprisonment and a
maximum of 30 years’ imprisonment on the enticement count. Judge RICHARD OWEN set a sentencing date of October 23, 2006, at 4:30 p.m.

Mr. GARCIA praised the efforts of the FBI’s Crimes Against Children Squad.

Mr. GARCIA stated, “My Office, the FBI, and our law enforcement partners are committed to protecting our children from those who use the Internet to try to abuse and exploit them. Those who troll the Internet looking for young children for sexual purposes should take warning. We will continue to use every available resource to identify, investigate and prosecute the sexual exploitation of children over the Internet to the fullest extent of the law.”

Assistant United States Attorneys MARIA E. DOUVAS and ANJAN SAHNI are in charge of the prosecution.