A Lake Forest man made his first court appearance Wednesday on federal charges of child pornography and traveling out of state to engage in sex acts with children and remains in custody pending an upcoming hearing in which he has agreed to plead guilty.
Daniel Seibert, who surrendered to authorities Tuesday, is scheduled to return to a Santa Ana federal courtroom on April 20 for a status conference. A date for a change-of-plea hearing is pending.
Seibert, 28, agreed to plead guilty to production of child pornography, traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and use of a facility of interstate commerce to induce a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Seibert traveled to Michigan between March 29 and April 2, 2019, to engage in sexual conduct with a 6-year-old girl with help from the child’s mother, according to the defendant’s plea agreement.
The mother, who is facing charges in Oregon state court, allegedly attempted to put the child to sleep with over-the-counter drugs so Seibert could molest the victim, according to prosecutors.
Seibert also admitted in the plea agreement to going to Utah in December 2018 and in May of last year to have sex with a 14-year-old victim he met online, prosecutors said.
Investigators recovered 180 photos and 19 videos of children being exploited during a search of the defendant’s residence, prosecutors said.
Seibert is also accused of enticing a third victim in May 2017 through October of last year to engage in sex acts and send him photos and videos of the 15-year-old’s illicit behavior, according to the plea agreement.
Another 15-year-old girl said she met Seibert online and that he encouraged her to send him numerous illicit photos and videos of herself to him from September 2016 through July of last year.