Rice also denied bond for Zobel, who has been jailed since his June 12 arrest in Michigan.
The charge carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, but can result in a life sentence. Prosecutors are recommending a 10-to-15 year sentencing range, according to Brent Tabacchi, assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio.
Other charges, including another coercion count and three counts of interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, were dismissed under the plea agreement.
The girls were 12 and 13 at the time of the assaults last year.
He took the two girls from Xenia to a parking garage in Toledo, where he had the two girls engage in sex with him, according to a statement of facts filed with the case. He also took pictures of the partially undressed girls, then gave each girl $20 before he left the garage, according to the statement.
The girls were reported missing on June 2 and interviewed by Toledo police on June 3.
Xenia police said the girls’ parents reported they’d been talking to a man on the Internet. Police found his screen name on the computer and filed a subpoena with MySpace.com for his account.
According to the FBI affidavit, the information came back to the ComCast cable provider, and after an emergency request, ComCast gave Xenia police Zobel’s name, address and telephone number in Ann Arbor.
By June 5, Xenia police had talked to Zobel, who admitted only giving the girls a ride and dropping them off in Toledo.
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