University of Michigan professor 'traveled to meet boy, 14, for sex'

A University of Michigan professor who describes himself as a 'boy lover' traveled 1,300 miles to meet a father and young son he had met online for sex - but was caught in an FBI sting, police have said.

James Cavalcoli, 51, an assistant professor at the university's department of computational medicine and bioinformatics, reportedly started chatting with the father, 'Jim', on a child pornography website.

He arranged to meet Jim - whom he believed to be a fellow 'boy lover' - and Jim's 14-year-old son for sex and traveled from his Ann Arbor home to Florida, armed with condoms and lubricant, it is said.

But after making the 1,350-mile trip to Broward County, Cavalcoli discovered the father he had been speaking to was actually an undercover officer working with the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force.

Cavalcoli, who also allegedly sent naked photographs to Jim ahead of the trip, was arrested and booked into Broward County Jail, pending transportation to a federal court in Fort Lauderdale.
He immediately confessed to his actions and said he 'regretted' his trip, police said. He is now facing a federal charge of traveling across states to have sex with a minor.