Fort Campbell Soldier Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation Charges

NASHVILLE - Robert Cecilio, [40], of Clarksville, Tennessee, pleaded guilty today to child sexual exploitation and child pornography offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Braden H. Boucek for the Middle District of Tennessee.

Cecilio, a U.S. Army soldier stationed at Fort Campbell, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, four counts of receipt of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography depicting a prepubescent minor.

"Cecilio hid behind a fake name and a screen to prey on young girls across the country. But anonymity on the internet is no shield from accountability," said U.S. Attorney Braden H. Boucek. "This office will continue to identify, investigate, and prosecute those who exploit children to the full extent of the law. I commend the FBI and Army CID for their outstanding work in identifying these victims and bringing this offender to justice."

"Robert Cecilio used fear and coercion to sexually exploit numerous minors," said Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Nashville Field Office. "There is no safe haven for those who exploit children. The FBI and our partners remain steadfast in our commitment to identify, apprehend, and hold accountable any individual who sexually exploits minors for their own depraved gratification. Protecting children and pursuing those who prey upon them is a top priority."

"Mr. Cecilio's plea is a testament to the diligent work of our special agents, the FBI, and prosecutorial partners at the United States Attorney's Office, Middle District of Tennessee," said Special Agent in Charge John McCabe of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division's Mid Central Field Office. "We stand firm in our commitment to protect children. To those who would exploit or harm their innocence: we will find you, we will hold you accountable, and justice will be served. Our children deserve nothing less."

According to the plea agreement, from at least June 2024 until his arrest in August 2025, Cecilio used Snapchat accounts containing variations of the name "Gabe" to communicate with minor girls, typically claiming he was 19 or 20 years old. He persuaded the girls to produce and send him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves, which he received over the internet and, in some cases, saved. Investigators identified five victims, ranging in age from 13 to 18, who lived in Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Cecilio continued to communicate with one victim even after she turned 18.

The FBI identified one of the victims, a 16-year-old girl in Florida, in June 2025 and traced the Snapchat account she had been communicating with to Cecilio. On August 8, 2025, agents executed a search warrant at Cecilio's Clarksville residence and seized multiple electronic devices. Agents also seized Cecilio's cell phone after stopping him as he entered Fort Campbell. During the search, investigators recognized items inside the residence-including bedding, drapes, and bathroom tile-that matched the backgrounds of photographs and videos Cecilio had sent to his victims.

After waiving his Miranda rights, Cecilio admitted that he had engaged in sexually explicit communications with numerous minor girls over an extended period using multiple Snapchat accounts and cell phones. He further admitted receiving numerous sexually explicit images and videos of minors that he knew constituted child pornography. Four of Cecilio's cell phones contained child sexual abuse material, including a video depicting two prepubescent children.

U.S. District Judge Aleta A. Trauger will sentence Cecilio on October 21, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. Cecilio faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison on each sexual exploitation count; a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years and a maximum sentence of 20 years on each receipt count; and up to 20 years on the possession count. He also faces fines of up to $250,000 on each count and a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life. Cecilio will be required to register as a sex offender, has agreed to pay restitution to his victims, and has agreed to forfeit four cell phones used in the offenses. As part of the plea agreement, the government will move to dismiss the remaining count of the indictment, which charged transmission of interstate threats, at sentencing.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Nashville Field Office, Clarksville Resident Agency, and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica R. Morrison is prosecuting the case.

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