Austin Gray Roberson, a 25-year-old Houston resident, has been ordered to federal prison after his convictions of production and possession of child pornography.
Roberson pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of possession of child pornography on January 27, 2022.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt sentenced him to 180 months on each of the sexual exploitation of a minor counts and 120 months for possessing child pornography, which will run concurrently for a total 180-month-term of imprisonment.
The court heard evidence of how Roberson reached out to 18 different minor males, requesting them to send naked photos and videos of themselves to him. Judge Hoyt considered the impact of Roberson’s conduct on one of the minors through their victim impact statement.
Roberson was ordered to pay restitution to the victims and will serve 15 years on supervised release following the completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to the internet. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
In June 2018, authorities in California executed a search warrant at a residence as part of a child pornography investigation, seizing several electronic devices. Forensic analysis revealed that Roberson was communicating with others on the social media application Kik for the purpose of obtaining and trading child pornography. He admitted to portraying himself as a minor female named ‘Kayla’ to target minor males between 12 and 17 years of age.
Law enforcement discovered 18 minor victims from whom Roberson solicited child pornography. A forensic exam on his cellphone found 3,765 images and 746 videos of young children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including children under the age of 12 and acts of violence.
The FBI conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Ann Leo is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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