Federal Prosecutors In Northern District Of Florida Secured Convictions In Separate Cases Of Child Exploitation

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Federal prosecutors in the Northern District of Florida this week secured
convictions in two separate trials involving child exploitation, including charges of production of
child pornography and attempted enticement of a minor. The guilty verdicts, from trials in
Tallahassee and Gainesville, were announced by Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the
Northern District of Florida.

“I am extremely proud of the Assistant United States Attorneys whose efforts made sure these two
criminals receive severe and just punishment under the law,” said Keefe.

After a two-day trial, a Tallahassee jury convicted Brennon Kyle Holley, 41, of Pensacola, of
attempted enticement of a minor. Holley came to the attention of law enforcement after he placed a
Craigslist.com advertisement seeking sex that said “age, relationship doesn’t matter.” A law
enforcement officer posing as a 13-year-old Panama City girl named “Rhea” responded to the ad, and
Holley then engaged in sexually explicit phone and text conversations with Rhea. He also sent
sexually explicit photographs in an attempt to entice and persuade her to engage in sexual activity
with him. After four days of communication, and believing Rhea’s parents were out of town, Holley
“convinced” the girl to let him come to her house when he got off work in Pensacola in order to
engage in sexual activity. Holley began the trip, but never arrived because his car broke down near
Fort Walton Beach.

Holley faces a mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life imprisonment. The sentencing hearing is
scheduled for December 13 at 1:30 pm at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee. The case was
investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and prosecuted by Assistant United States
Attorney Aine Ahmed.

In the second case, Joseph Donald Roberts, 43, of Branford, Florida, was convicted of production,
receipt, and possession of child pornography in the U.S. District Court in
Gainesville.

After a two-day trial, the jury convicted Roberts of using file sharing software to receive and
share videos of child pornography. The trial jury made a special finding that the images included
children younger than 12 years of age. In addition, Roberts was convicted of using his cell phone
to create pornographic videos of a minor child.

Roberts faces a mandatory minimum 15 years up to 30 years in prison. The sentencing hearing is
scheduled for December 16 at 2:30 pm at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville. The case was
investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations, and
was prosecuted by the district’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Coordinator, Assistant
United States Attorney Frank Williams.

“This child predator represents the very worst of our society,” said HSI Tampa Assistant Special
Agent in Charge Micah McCombs. “We hope that this verdict offers another step forward in the
healing process for his young victims.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as
the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public
court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida
website. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida,
visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.