A registered sex offender in Rhode Island who admitted to luring a 12-year-old girl into sexual encounters and then plotted her murder while he was behind bars in an attempt to prevent her from testifying against him.
Chandler J. Cardente, 30, pleaded guilty in federal court to three felony charges, including enticement of a minor and interstate murder-for-hire, per the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island.
Cardente pleaded guilty in federal court on March 20, and was sentenced this week to 35 years in federal prison. He is already serving a 35-year state sentence for molesting the child; the federal term will run concurrently, with release expected no earlier than 2056.
Cardente Posed as a 17-Year-Old to Lure the 12-Year-Old Victim into Sexual Encounter
Cardente, who was already a registered sex offender after pleading no contest to molesting a 2-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl in 2014, as reported by WJAR, met his 12-year-old victim while posing as a 17-year-old on a messaging app in 2021, according to the US Attorney’s Office.
He told the minor he wanted to have sex with her after several months of talking online. He then met the girl a short distance from her middle school, drove her to various locations in Rhode Island, and engaged in sexual contact with her multiple times. Cardente was subsequently arrested and detained in state custody.
Cardente Told the ‘Hitman’ He Wanted the Victim ‘To End Up Dead’
While he was behind bars, Cardente called a prospective hitman — an undercover police officer — to murder the girl because she was “a witness” who needed “to end up dead,” according to the US Attorney. He offered $200 in cash and $1,500 worth of tattoo equipment in exchange, per prosecutors.
