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HOUSTON - A Houston man has been sent to federal prison for possessing child pornography, said S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
25-year-old Austin Gray Roberson pleaded guilty on Jan. 27 2022 to three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of possession of child pornography and has been ordered to federal prison after his convictions, according to Hamdani.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt sentenced Roberson to 15 years on each for the sexual exploitation of minor charges and 10 years for possessing child pornography. The sentences will run concurrently for a total 15-year term of imprisonment, according to the United States Attorney’s Office, United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas.
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Reports say the court heard additional evidence as to how Roberson had contacted 18 different minor males asking them to send naked photos and videos of themselves to him. Judge Hoyt also considered how Roberson’s conduct affected one of those minors through his victim impact statement.
According to officials, Roberson was ordered to pay restitution to the victims and serve 15 years on supervised release following the completion of his prison term. In that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements to restrict his access to the internet and register as a sex offender, reports state.
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Monitoring your children's activity on social media
Multiple parents have filed lawsuits against social media companies, claiming the content on their platforms is dangerous. According to social media expert Karen De Amat, the dangers can also be linked to what they post.
"As a parent myself, it scares me to know how easy it is for sexual predators to misrepresent themselves and target children," said Hamdani. "In today’s online world, we must remember to remain vigilant to help protect our kids. I hope this sentence makes these criminals think twice before trying to solicit our most vulnerable for their sick desires."
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In June 2018, authorities in California executed a search warrant at a residence for a child pornography investigation and seized several electronic devices. Forensic analysis revealed an individual had been talking with others on the social media app Kik for the purpose of obtaining and trading child pornography and Roberson was one of those individuals reports say.
It was reported that Roberson admitted to authorities he would get on Kik pretending to be a minor female named "Kayla." Roberson would reportedly target minor males between 12 and 17-years-old and send nude selfies and videos of a suspected minor female masturbating in an attempt to get those minor males to reciprocate.
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An investigation led authorities to find 18 minor victims for whom Roberson solicited child pornography.
In a forensic exam on Roberson's cellphone, officials say they found 3,765 images and 746 videos of young children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. According to reports these images and videos include children under the age of 12, bondage, bestiality, and acts of violence such as the penetration of the victims.
Roberson was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future, officials say.
FBI conducted the investigation.