A Canadian man, Tommy Varesh, 54, from Toronto, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempting to coerce and entice a minor into illegal sexual activity. The sentencing took place in Alexandria, Virginia.
Court documents show that on May 9, 2025, Varesh used a public online discussion platform to contact someone he believed was a 15-year-old girl living in the Washington area. In reality, the person was an undercover law enforcement officer. During their conversations, Varesh claimed he was from New York and said he would travel to meet the individual for sex. He asked if she used birth control and said he would buy emergency contraception. Varesh sent graphic sexual images of himself and repeatedly requested sexual images from the undercover officer despite her reluctance.
Varesh told the undercover officer several times that their relationship needed to remain secret, especially from her mother and other adults. He also tried to keep their communication private by moving it to a platform where messages were automatically deleted. Additionally, he sent misleading messages on the original platform stating they would not engage in sex.
On June 16, 2025, Varesh traveled to Virginia with the intention of meeting the undercover officer for sex. When arrested, he had black lingerie and emergency contraception with him.
The FBI Washington Field Office and Fairfax County Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Halper and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Bedell prosecuted it.
“This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.”
Related court documents can be found through the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-306.
