A 25-year-old Ocala man is headed to federal prison for half a century after prosecutors say he ran a cruel online sextortion scam that targeted minors in Alabama and beyond. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Corey L. Maze sentenced Trevon Lamont Brown to 600 months in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, according to court filings. Prosecutors said Brown used social media to pressure young people into sending sexually explicit photos and videos, then threatened to expose them if they did not keep complying.
According to CBS Austin, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama said Brown pleaded guilty in December 2025 to sex trafficking, production of child pornography, coercion and enticement of a minor, and cyberstalking. The sentence was imposed in the Northern District of Alabama and followed an investigation that identified victims in multiple states, prosecutors said. Federal agents executed search warrants on Brown’s online accounts and searched his Florida residence in August 2023, seizing multiple electronic devices. Forensic examinations of those devices turned up child pornography and other sexually explicit material, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
A federal grand jury had earlier returned a nine-count indictment that included two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of sexual exploitation of children, two counts of coercion and enticement of a minor, and three counts of cyberstalking, prosecutors said. The charging documents trace the alleged conduct back to December 2020 and describe accusations that Brown used force, threats, fraud, or coercion against some victims. As reported by WAFF, investigators said he used apps such as Snapchat and TextNow to harass and intimidate victims.
How Prosecutors Say He Operated
According to CBS Austin, prosecutors said Brown posed online as a teenage girl and struck up conversations with males roughly 15 to 23 years old. After building rapport, he allegedly exchanged explicit images and videos with them, then turned those images into leverage, threatening to send the material to friends or family unless the victims met his demands. Those tactics are similar to patterns that law enforcement has highlighted in other sextortion cases.
Investigation And Multi-Agency Probe
Federal investigators teamed up with state and local partners to track Brown down and identify potential victims. Authorities said Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency all played roles in the probe. The investigation uncovered additional alleged victims in Alabama’s Middle District, and in other areas, officials said, and ultimately led to the indictment and guilty plea. WAFF noted that multiple agencies assisted in building the case.
Federal Charges And Penalties
The crimes Brown admitted to carry some of the heaviest penalties in the federal system. Convictions for production of child pornography and sex trafficking can result in sentences stretching over decades and, in certain circumstances, life in prison, along with lengthy supervised release after incarceration. Prosecutors brought the case under Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative that coordinates federal, state, and local efforts to combat online sexual exploitation of children. The program has been used in a growing number of internet exploitation prosecutions nationwide. Project Safe Childhood offers an overview of how that initiative operates.
What Victims And Families Should Know
Law enforcement officials urge anyone who believes they may have been victimized in a sextortion scheme, or who has information about similar conduct, to contact their local FBI field office, file a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, or submit a tip to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline. NCMEC and the FBI provide resources on preserving evidence and reporting online exploitation. The CyberTipline serves as a central clearinghouse for reports of suspected child sexual exploitation. The FBI and NCMEC maintain detailed guidance for victims and caregivers.
