A jury in Benton, Illinois has convicted a New Jersey man of attempting to solicit child pornography after he asked an undercover law enforcement agent posing as a 12-year-old for nude images. Nicholas R. Emper, identified in court records as 44 years old, was found guilty on one count, with federal authorities saying the conduct began when he started communicating with the undercover agent in February 2025.
According to wpsdlocal6.com, Emper went to trial arguing he was merely role-playing, a defense the jury rejected. The outlet reports that the FBI led the investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Sanders and Tom Leggans prosecuting the case. The conviction was announced per the Southern District of Illinois, with proceedings tied to Benton, Illinois, as First Alert 4 reported.
U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft addressed the defense directly in comments carried by the station's report, saying, “He went to trial claiming he was merely role-playing. The jury rightly rejected that defense.” The charge of attempted solicitation of child pornography can carry a penalty ranging from five to 20 years' imprisonment, the same account notes.
Sentencing Set for January 2027
Emper's sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 19, 2027, per the same account.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Ryan Presley said exploitation begins with a willingness to target a child, according to the facts cited in the case record. The statement underscores how federal investigators frame these cases as beginning the moment an adult decides to pursue contact with someone they believe to be a minor, regardless of whether that belief turns out to be accurate.
Conflicting Details in the Record
Court-related reporting lists Emper as 44 years old and from Sea Isle City, New Jersey, while a December 2025 release from the Justice Department identified him as 43 and from the same New Jersey town. The discrepancy in his age has not been resolved in the available record, and no additional detail clarifies which figure is accurate.
Federal coercion-and-enticement law, codified at 18 U.S.C. § 2422, makes it a crime to use interstate commerce to knowingly persuade, induce, entice or coerce a minor into criminal sexual activity, or to attempt to do so, with penalties that can include imprisonment of not less than 10 years or up to life. For Emper's case, WPSD reports that his charge carries a five-to-20-year prison range.
