Louisville Man Sentenced To 10 Years For Violating Federal Child Exploitation Laws
– Met14 year old victim on Facebook
LOUISVILLE, KY – A Louisville man who used Facebook to induce a minor female to engage in sexual activity was sentenced to ten years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release by Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas B. Russell yesterday, after pleading guilty to enticement of a minor and possession of child pornography announced David J. Hale, United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky.
Michael R. Grindles, age 36, pled guilty on March 19, 2012 to attempted enticement and coercion of a minor female to engage in sexual activity by means of the internet or telephone, and to possession of child pornography.
According to an Affidavit accompanying a Complaint, between July 11, 2011 and August 17, 2011 in Jefferson County, Kentucky, Grindles was alleged to have contacted a 14 year old female on Facebook, received the girl’s cell phone number then began sending the girl sexually explicit texts. The Louisville Metro Police Department’s Crimes Against Children Unit was contacted and intercepted the texts. On August 17, 2011 Grindles, by means of text messaging, made arrangements to meet what he thought was a 14 year old girl for sex. Grindles was arrested by Louisville Metro Police Department Officers at the arranged meeting location; 5100 Dixie Highway.
On August 26, 2011 a federal complaint was signed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Dave Whalin and on September 21, 2011 Grindles was indicted by a federal grand jury meeting in Louisville.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney A. Spencer McKiness and was investigated by the Louisville Metro Police Department Crimes Against Children Unit.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 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 www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
