Rockford Man Sentenced To 84 Months In Federal Prison For Traveling To California To Engage In Sex With A Minor

ROCKFORD — A Rockford, Ill. man was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Kapala to 84 months in federal prison for traveling from Illinois to California to engage in sex with a minor, of which 48 months are to be served consecutive to imprisonment on an Illinois state sentence. The defendant, DONALD TROTTER, 58, who pled guilty to the federal charges on Aug. 14, 2012, was also ordered by Judge Kapala to pay a fine of $25,000, as well as the cost of his representation by the Federal Public Defender.

Trotter has been in custody since his arrest on Aug. 5, 2009, in Long Beach, California, where he was ordered to be returned to Illinois to face both federal and state charges. According to the written plea agreement filed in federal court, Trotter had a sexual relationship with a 13 year old victim during and prior to 2009. During the relationship, Trotter told the victim that his true name was “Daniel Black” and that he was a government agent. After renting an apartment in Long Beach, California, intending to cohabit with the victim, Trotter arranged for the victim to travel to California on Aug. 1, 2009. On Aug. 3, 2009, Trotter traveled by plane from Illinois to California intending to engage in sexual acts with the minor victim.

Trotter was previously convicted in Illinois of state charges, including three counts of criminal sexual assault and one count of child abduction. He was sentenced to a total of 45 years in state prison and is presently serving that sentence. Following his release from Illinois state prison, Trotter will be taken into federal custody to serve the sentence imposed by the federal court. He will not be eligible for parole on his federal sentence.

The sentencing was announced by Gary S. Shapiro, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Cory B. Nelson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Chet Epperson, Chief of the Rockford Police Department.

The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Love.