Defendant Drove From Massachusetts To New Hampshire Believing He Would Pay To Sexually Exploit A 14-Year-Old Girl In Undercover Law-Enforcement Operation

Saturday, March 14, 2026, 8:30 A.M. ET. 3 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,

CONCORD, NH.- A Massachusetts man who traveled across state lines intending to sexually exploit a child has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison, federal authorities announced.

     Arthur Picanco, 43, of Bradford, Massachusetts, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Samantha D. Elliott to 84 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, according to U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan for the District of New Hampshire. Picanco previously pleaded guilty to one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.

     Federal prosecutors said the case stemmed from a proactive undercover operation conducted by law enforcement aimed at identifying individuals seeking to exploit minors through online sex advertisements.

     “Individuals who travel across state lines to exploit children in New Hampshire will be found, prosecuted, and held accountable,” U.S. Attorney Creegan said in a statement following the sentencing.

     “The defendant deliberately traveled from Massachusetts to New Hampshire, intending to purchase sex from someone he believed to be a minor. The significant sentence recognizes the seriousness of his conduct.”

     According to court records, the investigation began on November 14, 2024, when law enforcement agents posted and monitored an online advertisement on a website commonly used to solicit commercial sex.

     The advertisement included images that appeared to depict two minor females and provided a contact phone number. Investigators monitored the phone line and communicated with individuals who responded to the advertisement, including Picanco.

     During those communications, Picanco allegedly arranged to pay $100 to have sex with someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl. An undercover agent posing as a trafficker then provided Picanco with the address of a hotel in Manchester, New Hampshire, where the supposed meeting would take place.

     Authorities said Picanco subsequently drove from Massachusetts into New Hampshire in order to carry out the encounter.

     When Picanco arrived at the hotel, investigators said he confirmed he had the money and indicated he wanted to go up to the hotel room to meet the purported minor.

     Law enforcement officers then moved in and arrested him.

     At the time of his arrest, authorities discovered that Picanco had more than $100 in cash and a condom in his pocket, according to federal prosecutors.

     Homeland Security Investigations officials emphasized that undercover operations such as this are designed to intercept individuals attempting to exploit minors before any real children are harmed.

     “Picanco actively chose to pursue a child,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England.

     “He believed he was chatting with a trafficker offering him a chance to assault a child for a fee, and he made deliberate choices to make it happen. He agreed on a price, he drove to New Hampshire, and he arrived with cash in hand.”

     Krol added that such operations are critical in preventing child exploitation before it occurs.

     “Through undercover operations like this, we can find and arrest child predators before they have a chance to prey on real children,” he said.

     The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from local law-enforcement partners. The prosecution was handled by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.

Editor’s Note:

This article was written by Art Fletcher, and because the investigation involved an undercover law-enforcement operation, no actual minors were involved or harmed during the incident. Authorities routinely conduct these proactive operations to identify individuals seeking to exploit children and to intervene before any child victimization can occur.