MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) – Court documents unsealed claim that former Mobile County Assistant District Attorney Steve Giardini carried on a three-month long on-line relationship with an undercover FBI agent, posing as a 15 year old girl.
In the ” Application and Affidavit for Search Warrant”, it states that, “On December 14, 2008, the Affiant [FBI agent Arthur Roche] was working online in an undercover capacity in the Yahoo Messenger Chat Room ‘Alabama 2′. The Affiant was posing as a 15 year old female named Diana Gautier (hereafter referred to as Diana) from Daphne, Alabama. Diana was approached by a Yahoo user with the screen name ‘gulf_guy64′. Diana told the user that she was a 15 year old female from Daphne, Alabama. After being added to Diana’s Yahoo Messenger Friend List the user’s screen name changed from ‘gulf_guy64′ to ’steven’. ’steven’ advised Diana that he was from Mobile and sent a picture of himself to her online. ’steven’ told Diana to ‘call me sometime’ and provided a phone number.”
The FBI agent “compared the picture that ’steven’ had sent to Diana and the drivers license photo of S. G., and they show the same person.”
According to court documents, “Diana told ’steven’ that she was an only child and lived with her mother. Throughout the communications Diana and ’steven’ talk about being careful not to get caught by her mother and not telling anyone about their relationship.”
“In the online and telephone communications ’steven’ asked Diana if she had become serious enough with anyone in dating to have sex. ’steven’ told Diana in the conversations online and on the telephone that he has a swimming pool and a hot tub, and that she is welcome to come to his house and use them. ’steven’ told Diana that they would have to behave themselves when they meet in person…’steven’ told Diana that he wants to kiss her.” The documents go on to describe a number of sex acts.
“Throughout the communications ’steven’ stated that he is at his home when they are communicating online, and mentioned that he is online in the evenings and at lunch, because he goes home from work to eat lunch. He described his home to Diana as having a pool and a hot tub. The communications usually take place in early evening or late at night. The communications on April first and April second took place between the following times:
April first from 4:50PM to approximately 10:45PM, April second from 8:43PM to approximately 10:50PM.”
Giardini resigned from the Mobile County District Attorney’s office shortly after FBI agents raided his home and seized a number of electronic devices. Giardini had been assigned to the Child Advocacy Center, which helps young people who have been victims of sex crimes and other forms of abuse.