BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) -- A Jefferson County man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempting to entice a child, according to U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
In June, Robert Elton Trimble, 38, of Kimberly, pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to coerce or entice a minor to engage in sexual activity.
According to court documents, Trimble connected with an individual he believed to be a 15-year-old girl on a social networking app on Oct. 16, 2023. Trimble continued communication after learning the individual's alleged age. Within two weeks, Trimble began asking the individual questions of a sexual nature and discussing plans to meet her.
When Trimble arrived for their meeting on Nov. 21, 2023, he was arrested, as the individual he was communicating with was, in reality, an undercover officer.
FBI Birmingham's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, alongside the Homewood Police Department, investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood.
The U.S. Attorney's Office and the National Children's Advocacy Center have released a digital series to educate parents and caretakers on how they can prevent their children from being victims of crimes like sextortion. The videos from this series can be accessed here.