Jefferson County Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Attempting to Meet a Minor for Sex

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - A Jefferson County man was sentenced today on a charge of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.

U.S. District Court Judge Anna Manasco sentenced Robert Elton Trimble, 38, of Kimberly, to 120 months in prison, followed by a life term of supervised release. In June, Trimble pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to coerce or entice a minor to engage in sexual activity.

According to court documents, on October 16, 2023, Trimble made contact with an individual he believed was a 15-year-old girl on a social networking app. After learning her age on day one, Trimble continued to communicate with the "child," asking her questions about school, telling her about his work, and requesting photos. Within two weeks, Trimble turned their conversation sexual by asking the "child" about her sexual experiences and discussing plans to meet her. On November 21, 2023, Trimble arrived for the meeting and was arrested. Only then did he discover that he actually had been communicating with an undercover officer.

FBI Birmingham's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case along with the Homewood Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White prosecuted the case.

The U.S. Attorney's Office and the National Children's Advocacy Center have partnered and released a digital series to educate parents and caretakers about sextortion and how they can help prevent kids and teens from being victims. This series offers three-to-five-minute videos about current online safety topics and provides essential information about the true dangers of online activities.

The videos can be accessed from the following locations:

https://www.nationalcac.org/sextortion-prevention/

https://www.youtube.com/@nationalcac

If you suspect or become aware of possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children or online at www.cybertipline.org.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.