An American lawyer who served time in a Cambodian prison on costs of sexually abusing minors while visiting the Southeast Asian country is dealing with 5 federal counts in the United States for his crimes abroad.
The Justice Department alleges in a federal indictment that Rugh James Cline, 40, of Tampa paid out to rape four minors over five independent encounters. He faces 6 federal prices, which includes 5 counts of partaking in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign area and 1 depend of possessing little one sex abuse products, the U.S. Attorney for the Center District of Florida introduced before this week. Cline has pleaded not responsible to the fees.
Cline was deported again to the U.S. previously this month immediately after serving a jail sentence of two and a fifty percent yrs on regional prices in Cambodia for having to pay to sexually abusing minors beneath age 15, United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg stated in an online statement. In addition to prison time, he was requested to spend a $200 fine and $3,750 in compensation to each of the women, area media outlet WFLA reviews.
Cline appeared ahead of a federal judge on Monday.
Newsweek achieved out by using e-mail and website to Cline’s defense attorneys, Andrew Searle and Fritz Schelle, for comment. Newsweek also reached out to the Office of Justice (DOJ).
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Subsequent the listening to on Monday, Cline was launched on a $100,000 bond and was requested to residence arrest with GPS checking. He is also not allowed to have entry to the web or to minors, court docket paperwork clearly show.
The indictment alleges that Cline traveled to Cambodia in February 2019 and May perhaps 2019, and even though there, he compensated to sexually abuse four unique minors “multiple instances.” The Florida attorney is also billed with traveling to Cambodia though possessing elements depicting the sexual abuse of children as youthful as 12 yrs outdated.
If convicted in the U.S., the punishment is significantly sterner than his Cambodian sentence of two and a 50 % many years. Cline faces a most penalty of 30 years in federal prison for just about every of the five counts of participating in illicit sexual perform in a overseas location, and up to 20 a long time for possessing little one sexual intercourse abuse supplies.
This situation was investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Section of Point out and the Cambodian Countrywide Police. The Justice Department’s Workplace of Global Affairs also presented guidance. The situation will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel, according to the DOJ’s on line statement.
Cline, a 2010 graduate of the University of Miami College of Legislation, is delinquent on his bar fees, and is not suitable to apply legislation in Florida, according to The Florida Bar.
