Fall River Man Arrested on Federal Child Exploitation Charges

BOSTON — A Fall River man faces federal charges after prosecutors say he traveled to New Hampshire to attempt to have sex with a teenage girl he met online.

Charles Eugene Schnitzlein III, 34, was charged by criminal complaint with traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a person under 18 years of age, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Court documents say Schnitzlein was communicating over a messaging app with an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old girl, and planned to meet up to have sex. On April 9, 2021, Schnitzlein allegedly drove from Fall River to a mall in Nashua, New Hampshire for the meet-up, stopping on the way “to purchase condoms, flowers, soda and candy for the encounter.”

When Schnitzlein arrived at the mall, he was arrested.

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Following his arrest, court documents say, Schnitzlein admitted to law enforcement that he traveled from Fall River and had booked a hotel room in Nashua with the intention of meeting and having sex with the 13-year-old girl.

If convicted, Schnitzlein faces up to 30 years in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.