Source: Office of United States Attorneys
PEORIA, Ill. – A Towanda, Illinois, man, Triston Michael Roberts, 22, was sentenced on February 4, 2025, to fifteen years’ imprisonment, to be followed by a ten-year term of supervised release, after being convicted of two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. He also must register as a sex offender once he is released.At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Jonathan E. Hawley, the government established that between April 2023 and February 2024, Roberts used his cellphone to visit online platforms where he located adults offering to engage in sexual acts with children in exchange for money. Roberts used a screen record function on his phone to produce videos of the child sex abuse as it occurred. During the video chat sessions, Roberts provided monetary “tips” in exchange for the performance of specific acts of sexual abuse. Roberts also communicated directly with a prepubescent minor and sent her lewd photographs of himself. At Roberts’s request, the minor female sent him sexually explicit photographs.During the execution of a search warrant at Roberts’s residence, agents with Homeland Security Investigations and the Illinois State Police located three child pornography images and 82 child pornography videos on Roberts’s phone, in addition to the videos that Roberts produced.Roberts was charged by criminal complaint in February 2024 and indicted eight days later. He entered a guilty plea to two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in September 2024. Roberts has remained in the custody of the United States Marshals Service since his arrest.The statutory penalties for sexual exploitation of a minor are 15 to 30 years’ imprisonment, to be followed by five years to a life term of supervised release.“Preventing the exploitation of children is a top priority for our office,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gregory M. Gilmore. “Predators like the defendant inflict long-lasting trauma on child victims. We are committed to seeking justice in these cases and are grateful to our federal and local law enforcement partners for their dedicated work in investigating these crimes.”“This case underscores our relentless dedication to protecting children from exploitation,” said HSI Chicago acting Special Agent in Charge Daniel Johnsen. “The abhorrent actions of Roberts have caused severe harm, and his conviction ensures he will face justice for his vile offenses. We are committed to leveraging all resources at our disposal to prevent such heinous acts and ensure the safety and well-being of our communities.”“Preying on children is a despicable crime, and ISP special agents are committed to relentlessly pursuing justice and safety for all children every day,” said Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly.The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Illinois State Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz represented the government in the prosecution.The case against Roberts was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice 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 (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov