Canadian who traveled to Virginia intending to meet a minor for sex sentenced to 10 years in prison

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - A Canadian man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.

According to court documents, on May 9, 2025, Tommy Varesh, 54, of Toronto, used a publicly-viewable online discussion platform to contact a person he believed to be a 15-year-old girl in the Washington area, but who was actually an undercover law enforcement officer (UC). Varesh indicated he was from New York and willing to travel to meet the UC for sex. Varesh asked the UC if she used birth control and told her he would buy emergency contraception. Varesh sent graphic sexual images of himself and persistently requested sexual images from the UC even though the UC expressed reluctance.

Varesh often reiterated the need for his relationship with the UC to remain a secret, especially from the UC's mother and other adults and to ensure their communication was private. He also attempted to hide his intentions by moving their conversations to a platform from which messages were automatically deleted while also sending false messages to the original platform deceptively stating that he and the UC would not engage in sex.

On June 16, 2025, Varesh traveled to Virginia to meet the UC for sex. When he was arrested, he was carrying black lingerie and emergency contraception.

The FBI Washington Field Office and the Fairfax County Police Department investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Halper and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Bedell prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney's Offices and the 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.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District CourtLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACERLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-306.