VIRGINIA - A Canadian man was sentenced to a decade in federal prison after traveling to Virginia intending to meet who he believed was a 15-year-old for sex, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
What we know:
A federal judge sentenced Tommy Varesh, 54, of Toronto, to 10 years in prison for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia said.
According to court filings, Varesh used a publicly viewable online forum on May 9, 2025, to contact a person he believed was a 15-year-old girl in the Washington area, but was actually communicating with an undercover law enforcement officer.
Officials said Varesh claimed he was from New York and was willing to travel to meet the minor. He asked the undercover officer about birth control and said he would purchase emergency contraception, and sent graphic images of himself while repeatedly requesting sexual images from the officer even after the officer expressed reluctance.
Varesh also tried to conceal his intentions by moving their conversations to an app that automatically deletes messages, while deceptively telling others on the original platform that they would not be engaging in sex.
Arrested after arriving with lingerie and contraception
On June 16, 2025, Varesh traveled to Virginia to meet what he thought was a minor.
Agents arrested him when he arrived, and authorities said he was carrying black lingerie and emergency contraception.
Case investigated by FBI, Fairfax County Police
The case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and the Fairfax County Police Department. Prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia handled the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Halper and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Bedell leading the prosecution.
The prosecution said the case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program coordinates federal, state and local resources to identify, apprehend, and prosecute offenders who exploit children online.
10-year federal prison sentence imposed
What's next:
Varesh will serve his sentence in federal prison. Related court documents are available through the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Authorities continue to urge parents to monitor online activity and report suspected exploitation.
The Source: This article was written using information from the Fairfax County Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.