US judge jails American mum for Bendigo sex tryst

Updated November 7 2012 - 5:03am, first published June 18 2011 - 1:26am

A UNITED States federal judge sentenced an American woman who flew to Australia for a sexual tryst with a 15-year-old Bendigo boy in 2008 to 30 months jail on Friday.A wife and mother of three, Barbara Renee Case, 39, pleaded guilty in April to one count of travelling to a foreign country to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor.In the US, Case will also be required to register with the state as a sex offender.Authorities said Case met the 15-year-old boy in December 2007 while playing RuneScape, an online medieval fantasy role-playing game. Within five months of their meeting, Case purchased tickets for connecting flights from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles to Auckland to Melbourne, where she rented a car and drove two hours north to the city of Bendigo.Case stayed in a caravan park cabin for 10 days until police arrested her May 27, 2008.Authorities said Case told investigators she took photos of her and the boy having sex. The photos were never recovered.The investigation leading to the arrest began when the boy’s parents reported him missing. Authorities found Case and the boy at the cabin, where the woman answered the door as the victim was putting on a T-Shirt.Held in jail for 112 days, Case appeared in Bendigo County Court in September 2008 where she was sentenced to 16 months jail, suspended for two years.Australian reporters present at the hearing wrote that Case sobbed in court as a judge convicted her on two counts of sexual penetration with a minor.Case was ordered home to America and on arrival was confronted by federal investigators and charged with one count of travelling to a foreign country to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. Assistant US Attorney Nancy Healey told a plea hearing in the Federal Court on April 14 that Case had originally portrayed herself as a 21-year-old.“She eventually informed the victim that she was somewhat older,” Ms Healey said.During the plea hearing in April, Case was released on a $10,000 bond to live with her father in Lyndhurst where she was required to wear an electronic home monitoring bracelet until yesterday's sentencing.Asked how frequently her office handles such cases, Healey thought for a moment.“I don’t think we’ve seen too many of these,” she said. “This is not a common charge.”Case’s attorney declined comment.Story courtesy of The News VirginianOriginal Bendigo Advertiser story: http://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/news/local/news/general/sex-tryst-mum-free/1274203.aspx?storypage=1

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