Texas Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Enticing Minors to Engage in Illegal Sexual Activity

Tampa, Florida - Joshua Allen (34, Houston, TX) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber to 15 years in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for two counts of enticing or coercing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. The court also ordered Allen to forfeit a cellular phone, which was used in the commission of the offense, and to register as a sex offender. Allen pleaded guilty in August 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.

According to court documents, between October 2022 and April 2024, Allen used a social media application to persuade, induce, and entice minors to send him images and videos of child exploitation material in exchange for monetary payments.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel.

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