Omaha Predator Holbert Gets 19+ Years for Trafficking Minors

OMAHA, NEBRASKA – Thomas Holbert, 32, of Omaha, will spend the next 19 years and 7 months behind bars after being sentenced today for Conspiracy to Sex Traffic a Minor. Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced the sentence handed down by United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher. Holbert will serve the full 235 months, as there is no parole in the federal system, followed by five years of supervised release and mandatory registration as a sex offender.

The case unraveled in September 2020 when two vulnerable Omaha foster children, aged 16 and 17, disappeared from their foster home. Federal agents quickly zeroed in on Holbert, uncovering a chilling pattern of exploitation. He didn’t just abduct these kids; he actively recruited them into a life of forced sexual servitude.

Evidence presented in court showed Holbert picked up the victims and transported them to a hotel. There, he brazenly advertised them online, pitching them for commercial sex acts. Both victims were then forced to engage in these acts, with Holbert and others profiting from their abuse. The details are sickening, a stark reminder of the predators lurking in plain sight.

This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision. Holbert’s actions were calculated and predatory. He saw these vulnerable children not as human beings, but as commodities to be exploited for personal gain. The investigation, led by Homeland Security Investigations, the Omaha Police Department, and the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, meticulously built a case that left Holbert with no escape.

The prosecution of Holbert falls under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the escalating epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. This initiative brings together federal, state, and local resources to identify, rescue, and prosecute those who prey on children, particularly online. You can learn more about Project Safe Childhood at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

While Holbert’s sentence offers a measure of justice, the scars of this horrific crime will undoubtedly remain with the victims for life. This case serves as a grim warning: those who exploit children will be relentlessly pursued and brought to account, no matter where they hide. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the ongoing fight against child exploitation.