TAMPA, Fla. — A Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa investigation has led to the sentencing of a Clearwater man for coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and possession of child sexual abuse material.
Caleb Belanger, 25, of Clearwater, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. The court also ordered Belanger to pay $3,000 in restitution and forfeit an iPhone and iPad that were used to commit the offenses. Belanger entered a guilty plea on March 26.
According to court documents, Belanger enticed approximately 30 minor females, all between the ages of 13 and 17 years old, to take sexually explicit photos and videos of themselves and send the images to him via a mobile application in exchange for money, vapes and alcohol. He also offered money in exchange for sex and other sexual acts. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Belanger’s home and seized his iPhone and iPad. A search of those devices revealed that Belanger possessed 1,209 images and 111 videos of child sexual abuse.
This case was investigated by HSI Tampa with assistance from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the Tarpon Springs Police Department, the St. Petersburg Police Department and the Tampa Police Department. U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber presided over the case with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ilyssa M. Spergel and Ross Roberts as prosecutors.
About HSI
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance move. HSI’s workforce consists of over 10,000 employees, assigned to 235 offices within the United States and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI's international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.