Florida Man Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison for Sextortion Crimes

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - A Florida man has been sentenced for the sexual exploitation of numerous individuals in the northern and middle districts of Alabama, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Crosby.

U.S. District Judge Corey L. Maze sentenced Trevon Lamont Brown, 25, of Ocala, Florida, to 600 months in prison followed by a life term of supervised release. In December 2025, Brown pleaded guilty to multiple charges including sex trafficking, production of child pornography, coercion and enticement of a minor, and cyberstalking.

"The U.S. Attorney's Office will continue to be relentless in our prosecution of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us - our children," said Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine Crosby. "Trevon Brown victimized children across the United States, not just in the Northern and Middle Districts of Alabama. These children have suffered tremendously and will continue to experience lifelong impacts as images of their abuse remain online forever. We are grateful to our federal and state law enforcement partners that remain resolute in their pursuit of justice for these children. With their help, we will make sure monsters like Brown spend significant time behind bars."

"This defendant exploited and manipulated minors for his own gain, then used fear and intimidation to further victimize them," said Acting U.S. Attorney Kevin Davidson for the Middle District of Alabama. "By soliciting images from minors and threatening to expose them, Brown carried out a cruel and calculated scheme of exploitation. Protecting children from this kind of abuse remains a top priority for both the Middle and Northern Districts of Alabama, and this sentence reflects our shared commitment to seeking justice for victims and holding offenders fully accountable."

"We will not tolerate predators who exploit children and young adults. Our agents, alongside our dedicated law enforcement partners, worked tirelessly across state lines to protect victims and bring offenders to justice," said Steven N. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. "The public can be assured we are vigilant and unwavering in our mission to defend the most vulnerable."

According to court documents, beginning in December 2020 and continuing for several years, Brown used various social media accounts to pose as a teenage female and engage with males between the ages of 15-23 years old. Brown sent sexually explicit photos and/or videos of a female and requested similar photos and/or videos of the males in return. After receiving the photos and/or videos from the males, Brown threatened to expose them by sending them to their friends and family unless they complied with his extensive demands. Federal search warrants for Brown's online accounts were obtained and executed. And on August 2, 2023, agents executed a search warrant on Brown's residence in Ocala, Florida, where they seized multiple electronic devices. A review of Brown's online accounts and the forensic examination of Brown's iPhones revealed child pornography and other sexually explicit images and videos of many victims.

During this investigation, agents were informed by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) of additional victims located in the Middle District of Alabama (MDAL). Between March 2023 and August 2023, Brown, using the same methods of online sextortion as he did with the victims in the Northern District, threatened and intimidated three victims in the MDAL to expose their sexually explicit images if they did not comply with Brown's demands. Brown was indicted on federal charges of cyberstalking in the MDAL, and the case was subsequently transferred to the Northern District of Alabama for plea and sentencing.

Sextortion is a form of online sexual exploitation where victims are threatened or blackmailed, and it is a growing problem in the United States. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) documented a dramatic increase in reports of sextortion to their CyberTipline. In fact, NCMEC reported that the number of online enticement reports (which includes reports of sextortion) increased by more than 300% between 2021 and 2023.

In response to this epidemic, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Alabama and the National Children's Advocacy Center in Huntsville, Alabama, partnered to produce and release a digital series to educate parents and caretakers about sextortion and how they can help prevent children and teens from being victims. This series offers short, three-to-five-minute videos about online safety topics and provides essential information about the true dangers of online activities. The videos can be accessed here: Sextortion PreventionLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link..

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing 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 and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.projectsafechildhood.govLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link..

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Birmingham investigated the case along with the assistance of HSI Illinois Division, HSI New York Division, HSI North Carolina Division, HSI Florida Division, FBI Birmingham Division, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Clarksville Police Department in Tennessee, Pennsylvania State University Police and Public Safety, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Police Department, and Ocala Police Department in Florida. Assistant U.S. Attorneys R. Leann White of the Northern District of Alabama and Tara Ratz of the Middle District of Alabama prosecuted the cases.

If you suspect or become aware of possible online sexual exploitation, please make a report with the appropriate authorities. To report an incident, you can call the Department of Homeland Security's Know2Protect Tipline at 1-833-591-KNOW (5669) or contact the NCMEC CyberTipline online at report.cybertip.orgLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link..