Birmingham Man Sentenced to 25 years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting a Minor

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge yesterday sentenced a Birmingham man on sex trafficking a minor and sexual exploitation of children, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr.

United States District Judge Karon O. Bowdre sentenced Jeremy Lynn Alexander, 36, of Birmingham, to 300 months in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for sex trafficking a minor and sexual exploitation of children.  Alexander pleaded guilty to this charge in November 2020. 

According to the plea agreement, on or about July 16, 2021, FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force received a priority lead regarding a 14-year-old female reported missing out of Madison, Wisconsin. FBI Birmingham and Homewood Police Special Investigations Unit launched an immediate investigation to find and recover the child.  They located her through an advertisement on a website known for commercial sex advertisements.  A task force officer responded to the number posted in the advertisement and arrangements were made to meet the victim at a specific location.  Members of the task force responded to a local hotel and located the minor victim in the hotel room with Alexander.  Further investigation revealed child sexual abuse material involving Alexander and the minor victim located on Alexander’s cell phone. This conviction will require Alexander to register as a sex offender in accordance with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

“I am very grateful for the swift response of the Homewood Police Department and FBI who located and recovered the child victim in this case,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “The interstate trafficking of children for the purpose of sexual exploitation is a despicable crime, and my office will make every effort to find and prosecute those who commit this offense.”

“I’m proud of the work of the FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and our partners at the Homewood Police Department to bring Alexander to justice and rescue this young victim. We will not stop our pursuit of those who victimize the most vulnerable members of our community” said FBI SAC Johnnie Sharp, Jr.

FBI Birmingham's Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force (CEHTTF) investigated the case, with the assistance of the Homewood Police Special Investigations Unit.  Assistant United States Attorney Darius Greene and Assistant United States Attorney R. Leann White prosecuted the case.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.