South Bend Man Sentenced to 144 months in Prison

SOUTH BEND – Kevin Roell, 40 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. on his plea of guilty to attempted sex trafficking of a minor, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.

Roell was sentenced to 144 months in prison followed by 8 years of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, in August 2022, Roell communicated over the internet with a person he agreed to pay to facilitate him having sex with a 15-year-old girl. Roell used Bitcoin to pay a deposit, and then arrived at a hotel in South Bend with roses, jewelry, and cash planning to have sex with the 15-year-old.  He was then arrested.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations with the assistance of the Indiana State Police and Collin County (Texas) Sheriff’s Office.   This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John M. Maciejczyk.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .

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