Lubbock, Texas – Trevor Jacob Fortner, 25, of Lubbock, Texas, was taken into federal custody yesterday after a complaint was filed against him for attempted enticement of a minor. Fortner is a youth minister at the Fifth Street Baptist Church in Levelland, Texas, and also works at the First Baptist Church in Lubbock, in its publications and graphics department.
According to the affidavit filed in the case, a detective with the Lubbock Police Department (LPD), working in an undercover capacity and posing as a 15-year-old female, “Katy,” encountered Fortner via the Internet, who purported to be a 26-year-old married male. “Katy” provided Fortner a telephone number and a new email address, and he began sending “Katy” text messages from his cellphone.
On May 7, 2013, Fortner sent “Katy” an image of his facial profile as well as a sexually-explicit image. Fortner sent sexually explicit text messages to “Katy,” and asked “Katy” to send him a “dirty pic.” Fortner was arrested by the FBI and LPD on May 8, 2013.
A federal complaint is a written statement of the essential facts of the offenses charged and must be made under oath before a magistrate judge. A defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. The maximum statutory penalty for the offense as charged is Life in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and a lifetime of supervised release.
The 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. The matter is being investigated by the FBI, the LPD, and the LPD’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Cunningham is prosecuting.
Fortner is being held in federal custody pending a detention hearing set for May 15, 2013. The defendant’s real full name is Trevor Jacob Fortner, and he worked at the Fifth Street Baptist Church in Levelland, Texas, and the First Baptist Church in Lubbock, in its publications and graphics department.
The victim in this case was a minor, and Fortner is accused of attempting to entice the minor for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity. This case highlights the importance of online safety and the need for vigilance in protecting our children from predators.
Related Federal Cases
- Porfirio Palacios, Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor, Texas 2023 · California
- Mike Lozano, Attempted Enticement of a Minor, Texas 2016 · Arkansas
- John Edward Burns, Attempted Enticement of a Minor, Texas 2017 · Texas
- Ray Wickliffe Howland, Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor, Pennsylvania 2015 · Texas
- Steven Robert Sablan, Kidnapping and Transporting a Minor with Intent to Commit Criminal Sexual Activity, Texas 2024 · California
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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