NJ Air Force member accused of trying to have sex with undercover officer posing as girl

A Burlington County, New Jersey, man who served in the United States Air Force was indicted on Thursday, April 1, on several child exploitation charges.

U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer said 31-year-old Gabriel Perez was charged in a two-count Superseding Indictment with attempted enticement and coercion of a minor, and attempted transfer of obscene materials to a minor.

Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, the incident happened in August 2024, when Perez was 29 years old and an Air Force officer.

Officials said Perez communicated over Reddit with an undercover law enforcement officer who was pretending to be a 14-year-old girl. Over the course of two weeks, Perez expressed his interest in meeting with the “girl” for sex.

On August 28, 2024, Perez sent an obscene picture of himself to the “minor” and arranged to meet her the next day for sex, according to officials.

The next day, Perez drove to the meeting location and was arrested by law enforcement, officials said.

If convicted, Perez faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life on the attempted enticement and coercion of a minor charges and 10 years on the charge for attempted transfer of obscene materials to a minor. Each of the offenses also carry a fine of $250,000.