ARIZONA NEWS

West Valley man sentenced to 30 years in prison for getting explicit photos from teen

May 1, 2023, 8:00 PM

(Pexels Photo)...

(Pexels Photo)

(Pexels Photo)

PHOENIX — A 28-year-old West Valley man was sentenced last week to 30 years in prison for his role in the production of child sexual abuse material, authorities said.

Ethan Roberts from Tolleson previously pleaded guilty after engaging online with a 14-year-old girl from Norfolk, Virginia, during a seven-month period, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia said in a press release.

During their conversations, which began in January 2022, Roberts asked the minor to create and send sexually explicit images of herself to him, the release said.

The Tolleson man traveled by bus to Norfolk in August 2022, picked up the victim and brought her back to his Arizona apartment.

The FBI found the teenager at Roberts’ apartment through information collected from her Nintendo Switch account.

The case was part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.

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West Valley man sentenced to 30 years in prison for getting explicit photos from teen