A Madison man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempting to entice a minor, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Alabama.
On October 2023, Anthony Ray Lawrence, 38, of Madison, was convicted by a jury of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. The conviction will require Lawrence to register as a sex offender in accordance with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
According to evidence presented at trial, between April and May 2023, Lawrence used a social media application to engage with someone he thought to be a 14-year-old female but who actually was an undercover law enforcement officer. He told the undercover officer that he used the application to meet up with younger girls. On May 1, 2023, Lawrence traveled from Madison, Alabama, to Homewood, Alabama, to engage in a sexual act with a minor.
Lawrence was arrested at the time of the incident and found to be in possession of condoms and sexual lubricant. He had rented a hotel room nearby.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the federal government in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
The FBI investigated the case along with the Homewood Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel S. McBrayer and R. Leann White prosecuted the case.
U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala sentenced Lawrence to 120 months in prison, followed by a life term of supervised release.
If you suspect or become aware of possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org.
Key Facts
- State: Alabama
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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