Cobb County Superior Court Judge Angela Z. Brown sentenced Joseph Gambino of Kennesaw to five years in custody followed by 10 years on probation for Attempted Enticing a Child and Computer Sexual Exploitation after he was found guilty in a jury trial.

A public information release from the office of Cobb County District Attorney Flynn Broady, Jr. summarized the details leading to Gambino’s arrest and trial:

As part of a Marietta Police Department Crimes Against Children sting operation in April 2018, Gambino was caught trying to entice a person who he believed to be fourteen years old for the purposes of sex. While engaging in computer contact with a person, he thought was fourteen years old on the dating app, Tinder, Gambino sent graphic nude pictures and engaged in explicit sexual conversations. Gambino arranged to meet the person he believed to be a minor for sex at Dave and Buster’s located at 2215 D& B Drive in Marietta. Gambino was arrested as he tried to coax the believed minor to come out to his car from the business.

The grand jury’s Bill of Indictment gives further details. A detective with the Marietta Police Department posed as a teen named “Ashley,” who was believed by Gambino to be either 14 or 16 years old (both ages were listed in the indictment). Gambino then set up the meeting described above.

According to his booking report Gambino was born in 1990.

The attorney for Gambino was Kim Keheley Frye, a Marietta attorney.

The District Attorney’s trial team included Senior Assistant District Attorney Lindsay Raynor, Assistant District Attorney David Bailey, Investigator C. Burkes, Victim Advocate Ellyn Mills, and Legal Administrative Assistant Dawn Carter.

“This defendant purposely sent explicit pictures and made plans to have a sexual encounter with someone he believed to be 14 years old,” Raynor said. “Thanks to the hard work of law enforcement and the jury, all Cobb residents can rest easier knowing this predator will no longer be a threat to our community.”