A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent is facing federal charges after investigators say he sent explicit messages to an undercover officer who was posing online as a 13-year-old girl.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, 51-year-old Harry Marvelle Peless III of Newport was arrested Tuesday following an FBI investigation.
Federal agents say Peless began communicating with the undercover officer in September 2024 through an online messaging app. Over the course of nearly daily conversations, Peless allegedly sent obscene material and repeatedly asked the individual to run away and engage in sexual activity.
Investigators also say Peless accessed the chat account used to communicate with the undercover officer while he was on duty.
Peless is employed as a Border Patrol Agent in Michigan.
