A 56- year-old Lyman suspect is facing federal charges of attempting to entice and coerce a minor into committing criminal sex acts and traveling in interstate commerce for the purpose of meeting a minor for sex.
Jay Scott Cloutier was taken into custody on Sept. 20 in Colonie, New York, according to a joint statement from the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York Grant C. Jaquith and James N. Hendricks, the Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Cloutier allegedly thought he was texting with a teen boy, but as it turns out, the “boy” was an undercover FBI investigator.
According to the criminal complaint, Cloutier used a social networking and online dating application, text messages and phone calls to attempt to entice an individual whom he believed to be a 14- or 15-year-old boy to engage in various sexual acts with him. Investigators allege he traveled from Maine to Colonie, New York, for the purpose of engaging in sex acts with the boy.
The initial investigator in the case maintained an undercover online persona of a 14- year-old boy, according to a court affidavit.
On April 19, the investigator received a message to his undercover profile at about 11:45 p.m. by someone calling himself “Dad here.” The two exchanged phone numbers and texted for several days before another investigator took over the undercover persona. The texting continued and email addresses were exchanged – and were allegedly traced by investigators to Cloutier.
The two corresponded for several months, and eventually Cloutier asked for a meeting, according to the affidavit. He sent gifts to the “boy,” including Easter candy and a wristwatch.
They agreed to meet and, investigators wrote in the affidavit, Cloutier allegedly said he would arrive in Colonie on Sept. 20 and would be driving a pickup truck and hauling a horse trailer. The affidavit claims Cloutier arrived at the pre-arranged destination around 4 p.m., got out of his pickup truck and was taken into custody.
According to the affidavit. Cloutier allegedly waived his rights and confessed to exchanging the text messages.
If convicted, Cloutier faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison on the enticement charge and up to 30 years in prison on the travel charge, a fine of up to $250,000 per charge, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life.
A retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, Cloutier has served as the regional director for American Red Cross Services to the Armed Forces.
American Red Cross of Maine spokeswoman Ann Kim provided the following statement:
“The Red Cross was made aware that charges were filed against an employee,” said Kim. “The employee has been placed on administrative leave and the Red Cross is cooperating with authorities.”
The case is being investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force.
Cloutier was set to appear at U.S. District Court in Albany on Wednesday for a detention hearing. The result of that hearing was not available late Wednesday afternoon.
— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 780-9016 or twells@journaltribune.com.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
