By: Richard L. Smith
A Mercer County man who worked as a cargo pilot and frequently traveled internationally was sentenced to 144 months in prison for engaging in illicit explicit conduct abroad and producing explicit images of minors, as announced by U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger.
Frank Maile, 68, of Hamilton, New Jersey, previously from New Egypt, New Jersey, entered a guilty plea on September 6, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti.
The charges stemmed from Maile’s activities abroad, specifically involving an explicit act with minors and the production of explicit images of minors in the Philippines.
Court documents reveal that Maile had explicit contact with two minor sisters in the Philippines beginning as early as 2013.
He arranged these encounters through extensive communications with the minors’ pimp.
During these visits, Maile created and participated in videos and images of the female minor in multiple explicit acts, which were deemed commercial explicit acts due to the involvement of compensation.
Upon his entry into the United States in Alabama on April 6, 2018, and later at the time of his arrest in New Jersey on May 1, 2018, Maile was found in possession of additional minor explicit abuse images.
Maile also admitted to distributing some of the illicit material to his then-roommate and tenant, Dennis Nerolich, who has pleaded guilty to possession of explicit images of minors and is awaiting sentencing on November 6, 2024.
Alongside his 12-year prison term, Judge Martinotti sentenced Maile to lifetime supervised release and mandatory registration as a sex offender and imposed a $5,000 assessment under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, along with a $50,000 fine.
The court will determine restitution at a later date.