Man accused of trying to hire hit man to kill girl, 12, he allegedly sexually assaulted
09/15/2022 11:53 am PDT
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (TCD) -- A 28-year-old registered sex offender was indicted by a grand jury after allegedly launching a murder-for-hire plot against a 12-year-old girl he reportedly enticed to engage in sexual activity.
According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island, Chandler Cardente started speaking with a juvenile girl via social media on Dec. 3, 2021. Nearly a week later, on Dec. 10, 2021, Cardente reportedly had "sexual contact" with the minor and was arrested.
The indictment alleges that on Feb. 4, Cardente spoke with a person via telephone while he was held at the Adult Correctional Institutions. He reportedly tried to initiate a murder-for-hire plot in which he offered $200 cash and equipment worth $1,500 to have the juvenile victim killed.
According to the indictment, Cardente told the person he needed the victim "to end up dead" due to the fact that she was "a witness."
On Sept. 14, the Attorney’s Office announced Cardente was charged with enticement of a minor, committing a felony offense involving a minor while being a registered sex offender, and interstate murder-for-hire.
If convicted, Cardente reportedly faces up to life in prison for enticement of a minor, "with a minimum mandatory term of incarceration of 10 years; committing a felony offense involving a minor while being a registered sex offender is punishable by a consecutive term of 10 years of incarceration to any sentence imposed for enticement of a minor; interstate murder-for-hire is punishable by a statutory penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment."
Cardente remains held in the Adult Correctional Institutions and is listed as high security, records show.
Cardente was reportedly arrested previously in 2013 and 2014 for child molestation charges, and according to records, he was also arrested for failure to register as sex offender in 2020.
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