A 39-year-old Hamburg man was sentenced to 2 1/3 to 7 years in prison after a jury found he sent indecent text messages to a minor while violating an existing order of protection. Ezechiel Travis must also register as a sex offender once he is released, officials said.
The sentencing, handed down Monday, closes out a case that began in September 2025, when Travis sent the messages, according to officials cited by WIVB News 4. The court also issued a final order of protection for the victim that will remain in place until November 2040, the station reported.
According to the Erie County District Attorney's Office, Travis had faced a maximum of seven years in prison heading into sentencing and had remained remanded without bail. A jury convicted him in September of one count each of first-degree disseminating indecent material to minors, first-degree criminal contempt, and endangering the welfare of a child.
What Investigators Said Happened
Officials said Travis sent the text messages to the minor on September 17, 2025, while he was already subject to an existing order of protection. The station's report on his conviction states he was trying to induce the minor to engage in sexual conduct or sexual performance, and that he did so while violating that existing order.
Officials also said Travis intentionally placed the victim in reasonable fear of physical injury, serious physical injury, or death by sending the messages. The victim's mother reported the texts to police, setting the case in motion, per the same outlet's earlier coverage.
The Charges and the Law Behind Them
First-degree disseminating indecent material to minors, the top charge in the case, is classified as a class D felony under New York State Senate law. Travis was convicted of that count alongside first-degree criminal contempt and endangering the welfare of a child following the September trial.
With sentencing now complete, Travis faces 2 1/3 to 7 years behind bars, mandatory sex offender registration upon release, and a no-contact order protecting the victim that stretches well into the next decade.
