Massachusetts Man Arrested for Attempted Enticement of a Minor

ALBANY, NEW YORK - Mark Nacht, age 65, of Waltham, Massachusetts, was arrested on Friday, April 10, 2026, on charges of attempted enticement of a minor. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.

The complaint alleges that between December 18, 2025, and April 10, 2026, Nacht exchanged sexually explicit messages online with an undercover agent in Albany whom he believed would allow him to engage in sexual contact with a 13-year-old relative. Nacht also directly communicated with another undercover agent he believed was the 13-year-old girl to groom her to engage in sexually explicit activity. On April 10, 2026, Nacht travelled from Massachusetts to Albany with the intent to engage in sexual acts with the 13-year-old girl. Nacht was arrested by law enforcement shortly after arriving at the location.

First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: "As alleged, this defendant sought to prey on an innocent young girl and inflict terrible harm on her. Thanks to this incredible sting operation and others like it, parents can sleep more soundly tonight. Every day, we are working with our law enforcement partners to lock up pedophiles who would seek to exploit children in our communities."

FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli stated: "As alleged, Mr. Nacht left his home in Massachusetts to travel to Albany to have sexual contact with an individual he believed to be a minor. Instead, he found FBI Albany's Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force waiting to arrest him. This arrest should send a clear message that the FBI is committed to aggressively investigating these dangerous predators and ensuring they are held accountable for their disturbing actions."

Following the initial appearance on April 10, 2026, Nacht was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending a detention hearing on April 14, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart.

The charge filed against Nacht carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, a mandatory minimum of ten years' imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of between five years and life. A defendant's sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute(s) the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. If convicted, Nacht would also be required to register as a sex offender.

The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The FBI are conducting this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.

Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.

###