United States Attorney Maxwell Wood, Middle District of Georgia, announced that Samuel Robert Cole was sentenced today before the Honorable W. Louis Sands, United States District Judge for the Middle District of Georgia. Cole was sentenced to mandatory life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

On January 26, 2007, Cole entered a plea of guilty to one count of transporting a minor across state lines for the purpose of engaging in sexual conduct in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Sections 2423(a), 2426 and 3559(e).

According to stipulated facts in Court, Cole befriended the family of the minor victim. On September 16, 2006, Cole without parental permission, went to the home of the victim and enticed the victim to travel with him to Florida, in order to engage in sexual conduct with the minor, age 12. While at the motel, Cole did in fact have sexual contact with the victim. The two then returned to the victim’s home and the victim reported the incident to its mother who notified law enforcement.

The investigation revealed that Cole was convicted of Aggravated Child Molestation in 1987 in the Superior Court of Mitchell County, Georgia, and sentenced to 15 years (7 years in prison and 8 years on probation). Title 18 United States Code, Section 3559(e) provides for a mandatory life sentence in cases of a second conviction for certain sex offenses. This mandatory sentence is a provision of the “Adam Walsh Act” passed by Congress in July of 2006.

The case was investigated by agents of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys James N. Crane and Leah E. McEwen.

Question concerning this case should be directed to Sue McKinney, Public Affairs Specialist, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2602.