Leland Robinson, Enticement of a Minor, New York 2023

Leland Robinson, 35, Sentenced to 50 Years for Enticement of a Minor

A Mount Vernon man has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for his role in the enticement of a 14-year-old minor to engage in sexual activity. Leland Robinson, 35, of Mount Vernon, New York, was convicted of enticement of a minor following a week-long jury trial in July 2023.

According to court documents and the evidence presented in the trial of Robinson, he met his victim on a social media application in February 2019. At the time, Robinson was 31 years old, but he posed as a high school student. He sent the victim sexually explicit images and videos of himself and requested the same from the victim.

In the fall of 2019, Robinson agreed to provide the victim with a JUUL if the victim would engage in sex with him. On multiple occasions in September and October 2019, Robinson traveled to the victim's home in Connecticut. On October 24, 2019, Robinson returned to the victim's house and sexually assaulted him in the yard outside his house.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams praised the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Canaan Police Department, and the Greensboro Police Department in Greensboro, North Carolina, in connection with this investigation. Williams also encouraged parents and caregivers to have conversations with their children about the dangers of communicating online with strangers.

“Leland Robinson’s crime is the nightmare of every parent of a child who uses a smartphone,” Williams said. “I encourage parents and caregivers to have conversations with their children about the dangers of communicating online with strangers. We will continue to use every tool available to law enforcement to prosecute and punish those who seek to exploit our children.”

Robinson was sentenced to 50 years in prison and 15 years of supervised release. The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marcia S. Cohen and Jennifer Ong are in charge of the prosecution.

In imposing the sentence, Judge Kenneth M. Karas said, “People should understand that when they prey on kids, they will pay the price.”

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/mount-vernon-man-sentenced-50-years-prison-his-enticement-minor