Pennsylvania man pleads guilty to attempting to meet a minor for sex

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Pennsylvania man pled guilty today to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.

According to court documents, on May 1, Keith Allen Pinkard, 67, of Middletown, sent a private message to another user on a social media platform, unaware that the other user was an undercover FBI special agent. Pinkard told the user that he was seeking “a new playmate” for an “ongoing adventure.” The two discussed their interests, including Pinkard’s interest in young girls, leading to discussion of the other user’s purported nine-year-old daughter. Pinkard expressed interest in meeting the other user in person and engaging in sex acts with the purported nine-year-old girl. Pinkard said he was ready to commit “to a regular thing” with the user and the purported child, and that he wanted to present the child with a gift before going to the child’s bedroom. Pinkard and the other user arranged to meet at a coffee shop the following week and then walk together to the other user’s residence, where the purported child would be waiting.

On May 6, Pinkard arrived at the agreed upon location in Virginia, where he was arrested by FBI agents. In his vehicle were a gift bag containing a coloring book, colored pencils, and two packs of candy, as well as an Easter-themed basket with candy. He also had an image of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct on his cellphone.

Pinkard is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 30. He faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Emily Odom, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Halper is prosecuting the case.

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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the 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, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-183.