Robert Hosler, 28, of Austin, Texas, was convicted today in federal court in Madison, Wisconsin, on two counts of interstate communications and travel to engage in illegal sexual activity with a minor. After a one-day bench trial before U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson, Hosler was found guilty of crossing state lines with the intent to sexually assault a child. He waived his right to a jury trial.
Hosler also pleaded guilty today to a third charge: possession of child pornography. Authorities confirmed that at the time of his arrest in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, on September 6, 2018, he was in possession of a cell phone containing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. At least one image involved a child under the age of 12.
The evidence laid bare a calculated descent into criminality. In August 2018, Hosler responded to an online advertisement offering a 12-year-old child for sexual purposes. Unbeknownst to him, the ad was planted by an undercover law enforcement officer. He then flew from Texas to Minneapolis, rented a car, and drove to a prearranged meeting in Eau Claire—where he was immediately taken into custody by law enforcement.
“The defendant traveled to Wisconsin with the intent to sexually assault a child,” said U.S. Attorney Scott C. Blader for the Western District of Wisconsin. “My office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners at the local, state, and federal level to bring those who seek to sexually exploit children to justice.”
Hosler now faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum of life. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled. Federal prosecutors emphasized the severity of the crimes, particularly the targeting of a child as young as 12 and the possession of images involving prepubescent minors.
The investigation was a multi-agency dragnet involving the Eau Claire Police Department, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security, Central Texas Violent Crimes Task Force, Wisconsin State Patrol, and West Central Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Altman and Diane Schlipper are leading the prosecution.
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Key Facts
- State: Wisconsin
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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