Roanoke Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Witness Tampering

ROANOKE, Va. – The grim headlines just got grimmer as Lenny Baldwin Jr., a registered sex offender, pleaded guilty to witness tampering following his brazen attempt to send illicit texts to a 16-year-old boy.

Baldwin, 30, faces up to 20 years in prison after exchanging sexually charged messages with the minor, violating the terms of his supervised release. The judge will decide on the sentence after considering various factors.

According to court documents, Baldwin met the 16-year-old boy while working at Dollar Tree and befriended him, eventually spending time at the boy’s Roanoke home. His deceitful scheme began in October 2023, when he used an iPhone to send inappropriate messages, employing the “unsend” feature to cover his tracks.

Baldwin also asked the minor to delete their conversations, knowing that such actions were a direct violation of his supervised release terms. He continued this pattern of manipulation, using different phone numbers and even attempting to hide his identity by not notifying his probation officer about his new devices.

The case has been vigorously pursued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the City of Roanoke Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Scheff is leading the prosecution of this disturbing case.

Baldwin’s actions serve as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by predators who seek to exploit the digital age for their criminal pursuits.

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