TAMPA, Fla. — A Florida-licensed attorney who’s accused of sexually abusing children in Cambodia appeared before a judge in Tampa Monday.
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40-year-old Rugh James Cline was indicted back in February of 2021 on five counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place and one count of possession of child exploitation materials.
According to the indictment, Cline traveled to Cambodia in February and May of 2019 and paid to sexually abuse four different children while he was there. He’s also accused of traveling to Cambodia while knowingly in possession of materials depicting the sexual abuse of children.
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Cline was deported from Cambodia and returned for an initial appearance in federal court in Tampa on June 7.
Florida attorney deported to U.S. after being charged w/sexually abusing children in Cambodia. #PSCMDFL @StateDept @FBITampa @USDOJ_Intl https://t.co/ueciO7iz6l
— USAO Middle Florida (@USAO_MDFL) June 27, 2023
On Monday, there was a bond hearing in the case during which cline was released on GPS monitoring, home detention, and a $100,000 signature bond. He’s also prohibited from accessing the internet or having any contact with minors while under home detention.
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If convicted, Cline faces a sentence of up to 30 years in prison for each of the five counts of illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place, and 20 years for possession of child sexual abuse material.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
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