Joshua Herrera, Enticing a Minor, Georgia 2023

Kennesaw Man Sentenced to 19 and a Half Years in Prison for Enticing Minor

A 29-year-old man from Kennesaw, Georgia, has been sentenced to federal prison for attempting to arrange to meet a minor girl for sex online.

According to authorities, Joshua Herrera communicated online with an undercover special agent and expressed interest in performing sex acts on a minor girl, requested photographs of the child, and arranged to meet the girl on November 19, 2019. He then drove from Athens, Georgia, to a pre-arranged location in metro-Atlanta on January 16, 2020, where he believed he would meet the child. FBI special agents arrested him upon his arrival.

Herrera was convicted of the offense on March 30, 2023, after a four-day jury trial. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg to 19 and a half years in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. He is also required to register as a sex offender.

“Online predators, like Herrera, mistakenly believe that they can anonymously exploit social media and apps to sexually abuse young children,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “But the tireless efforts of federal, state, and local investigators make it possible to hold these perpetrators accountable.”

According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court, Herrera posed a significant threat to the community, and this sentence reflects that.

The FBI investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Gabay-Smith and Jesika W. French prosecuted the case. It is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/kennesaw-man-sentenced-attempting-entice-minor-sex