NASHVILLE – A Clarksville, Tennessee, man was convicted yesterday of attempting to persuade a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity; attempting to transfer obscene material to an individual under the age of sixteen; and destruction of evidence to prevent search or seizure; announced U.S. Attorney Mark H. Wildasin for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Kevin Figueroa, 33, was found guilty of all counts following a bench trial before Chief U.S. District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr.
Figueroa was indicted in April, following an investigation that began in November 2019, after Figueroa initiated online contact with an undercover FBI agent who was posing as a 15-year-old female. Figueroa used the profile of “Spike tkro,” which identified him as a 25-year-old male living in Nashville, Tenn., and was communicating through the online dating application, Meet24. Figueroa continued to message the undercover agent, even after confirming the undercover persona used by the agent was a 15-year-old female, and sent a picture of a penis.
Figueroa continued to communicate with the undercover agent and proposed meeting for sexual activity on November 26, 2019. The meeting was arranged, however Figueroa failed to show. In December 2019, Figueroa again initiated contact with the undercover agent, this time using the mobile dating application MeetMe and the profile of “Kevin F,” a 32-year-old male living in Clarksville. Figueroa turned the conversation to a sexual nature and again suggested meeting for sexual activity, again after confirming the undercover persona was a 15- year-old female. A meeting was eventually arranged for March 17, 2020, at the purported residence of the minor female. When Figueroa arrived at the location, he was met by FBI agents and detained. When Figueroa learned that the agents intended to seize his cell phone, he quickly deleted the Kik messaging application and attempted to delete the Plenty of Fish dating application.
During the course of the investigation and after being charged with these crimes, agents learned that Figueroa had engaged in sexual activity with multiple minor victims before his initial contact with the undercover agent.
Figueroa faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years, and up to life in prison, when he is sentenced on December 2, 2022.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monica Morrison and Robert E. McGuire are prosecuting the case.
# # # # #