Kevin Figueroa, Child Exploitation, Tennessee 2022

NASHVILLE – Kevin Figueroa, a 33-year-old man from Clarksville, Tennessee, was sentenced to federal prison yesterday for child exploitation charges, announced U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis.

Figueroa was sentenced to 10 years in prison concurrently on each count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. Additionally, he was sentenced to an additional 30 months in prison for destruction or removal of evidence to prevent search or seizure, to run consecutively, and will serve 10 years of supervised release upon his release from prison.

The charges against Figueroa stem from his interactions with an undercover FBI agent who was conducting an online covert investigation using a popular mobile dating application. Figueroa, using the profile “Spike tkro,” contacted the agent and continued to message him, even after confirming the persona was a 15-year-old female and sent a lewd photo and message before exchanging phone numbers with the agent.

In subsequent communications, Figueroa proposed meeting with the agent to engage in sexual activity and arranged a meeting in November 2019, for which Figueroa failed to show. The following month, Figueroa initiated contact with the agent on a different dating app and continued to communicate with who he believed to be the same 15-year-old female. Another meeting was subsequently arranged for March 17, 2020, at an apartment building in Clarksville for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity.

When Figueroa arrived at the meeting location, he was met by FBI agents. While being interviewed by FBI agents, Figueroa learned that they intended to seize his phone and surreptitiously deleted apps from his phone.

Figueroa was found guilty of the charges after a bench trial before Chief U.S. District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr., in September 2022.

This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monica R. Morrison and Robert E. McGuire. Figueroa’s crimes are a stark reminder of the dangers of online predators and the importance of vigilance in protecting our children.

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