Houston Republic

A Brazoria man has been sentenced to federal prison for sending obscene photos and messages to a minor. U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani announced the sentencing of 46-year-old George Jimenez, who was convicted by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown on April 23 after a one-day trial.

Jimenez pleaded guilty to two counts of transferring obscene material to a minor before the trial began. He received sentences of 240 months for coercion and enticement of a minor and 120 months for transferring obscene material, which will run concurrently, resulting in a total term of 240 months in prison.

During the sentencing hearing, testimony from four victims highlighted the impact of Jimenez's actions. The court emphasized the seriousness of his conduct and the need for a severe sentence as a deterrent against future crimes. After serving his prison term, Jimenez will be on supervised release for ten years with restrictions on internet access and contact with children. He must also register as a sex offender.

Hamdani stated, "Today’s sentence should be a deterrence to individuals who commit serious online crimes against minors, even when there has been no physical contact." He noted that Jimenez exploited vulnerable victims who were unaware they were communicating with an adult male.

In April 2019, law enforcement discovered that Jimenez had sent explicit images to a 13-year-old girl and other minors using the TextNow application while posing as a teenage boy. Between March and April 2019, he engaged in sexually explicit conversations with minors, requesting inappropriate images from them.

The defense argued during the trial that Jimenez's messages did not constitute attempts to persuade the minor into sending explicit photos; however, Judge Brown disagreed. In his ruling, he stated that Jimenez's requests were "direct, specific and unambiguous," leaving no doubt about his intentions.

Jimenez remains in custody awaiting transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.

The FBI conducted the investigation into this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen M. Lansden and Sherin S. Daniel prosecuted it under Project Safe Childhood (PSC), an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse through coordinated efforts across various levels of law enforcement.