Robert L. Tomlinson, Violating Federal Child Exploitation Laws, Kentucky 2023

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – In a disturbing case of online predators, Robert L. Tomlinson, 56, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by a 15-year term of Supervised Release for violating federal child exploitation laws, announced United States Attorney Russell M. Coleman.

Tomlinson remains in the custody of the United States Marshals Service after admitting to online communications with a person he believed to be a 15-year-old girl for the purpose of meeting her to engage in sexual conduct. Law enforcement officials became aware of Tomlinson’s criminal conduct through an online undercover operation conducted by an investigator with the Kentucky Attorney General’s Department of Criminal Investigations on March 14, 2017.

The investigator responded to a Craigslist ad posted in the Louisville personals section and posed as a 15-year-old female living in Louisville, Kentucky. Tomlinson responded back the same date, and when asked by Tomlinson for the undercover persona’s age, the investigator responded “15.” The conversations lasted several weeks over text message and email.

On April 1, 2017, the investigator agreed to Tomlinson’s request to meet, and on April 5, 2017, investigators watched Tomlinson arrive at the agreed-upon location. Law enforcement officials approached Tomlinson’s vehicle, removed him, and located an LG model 550 smart phone in his possession. The investigator observed the screen was unlocked and that the ongoing conversation with the investigator was open.

Assistant United States Attorney Jo E. Lawless prosecuted the case, with the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office – Department of Criminal Investigations conducting the investigation with support from the United States Secret Service. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.

Tomlinson’s sentence serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of online predators and the importance of vigilance in protecting our children from exploitation. The Grimy Times will continue to shine a light on cases like this, and we urge all parents and guardians to educate themselves and their children about online safety and the risks of child exploitation.

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