Bobby Lequan Council, 39, of Goodlettsville, has admitted to sexually exploiting a 7-year-old child, a federal case that could now keep him behind bars for decades. Prosecutors say Council pleaded guilty on July 6, 2026, to sexually exploiting the child and related federal charges after investigators uncovered explicit videos on a phone he had been using. Court records show Council acknowledged recording the abuse, and forensic examiners recovered the videos. Because of his prior federal conviction, he now faces a sentencing range that stretches well into a possible lifetime behind bars, with a hearing set for September 16, 2026.
In a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Tennessee, federal prosecutors detailed the charges: sexual exploitation of a minor (second offense), possession of child sexual abuse material (second offense), failure to register as a sex offender and committing a felony involving a minor while required to register. U.S. Attorney Braden H. Boucek said, "Protecting children from sexual predators remains one of our highest priorities." Because Council has a 2012 federal conviction for sexual exploitation of a minor, prosecutors say he now faces a mandatory minimum of 35 years in prison and a potential maximum of 90 years, along with supervised release and restitution.
Investigation and evidence
The case began on April 16, 2025, when Goodlettsville Police Department detectives responded to a home after a woman reported finding sexually explicit videos on a phone Council had been using. A forensic examination of the device turned up three videos that investigators say were created on January 16, 2025. After waiving his Miranda rights, Council admitted to detectives that he sexually abused the minor and recorded the conduct, according to WKRN News 2. Investigators also say that although Council listed a Nashville motel as his primary address in February 2025, he had actually been living at a Goodlettsville residence since at least December 2024 and failed to update his sex-offender registration.
Sentencing exposure and legal counts
Federal law leaves little room for leniency in cases like this. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Tennessee, the sexual-exploitation count alone carries a mandatory minimum of 25 years and up to 50 years in prison. The child-sexual-abuse-material count carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to 20 years. The failure-to-register charge carries a maximum of 10 years. On top of that, the felony-while-registered count carries a mandatory 10-year sentence that must run consecutively to the sentence for sexual exploitation of a minor - which together produce a mandatory minimum of 35 years behind bars and a possible 90-year maximum. Sentencing is scheduled for September 16, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Eli J. Richardson. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monica R. Morrison and Carlin Hess are prosecuting the case, and authorities credited the Goodlettsville Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Marshals Service with the investigation.
What’s next
At the September sentencing hearing, the court will weigh the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, arguments from both sides and any victim-impact statements or restitution requests before setting Council’s final sentence within the statutory range. Prosecutors and investigators say the case highlights the role of coordinated work among local and federal agencies in protecting children from exploitation. In keeping with federal privacy rules, officials have not released identifying information about the victim.
