Minnesota man sentenced to 27 years after coercing a 12-year-old into producing child sexual abuse material online.
A registered sex offender from Minnesota has been sentenced to 27 years in federal prison after coercing a minor into producing child sexual abuse material online, U.S. authorities announced.
Federal prosecutors said Robert James Levi, of Minneapolis, exploited a victim for several years by posing as a teenage boy on the internet. The scheme began in February 2022, when Levi allegedly contacted a 12-year-old girl and convinced her that he was a 16-year-old boy interested in a relationship.
Investigators said Levi exchanged more than 112,000 messages with the victim, gradually manipulating and pressuring her to create and send explicit images and videos. The communications continued for years as he maintained the false identity.
Authorities noted that Levi had already been convicted in February 2024 of second-degree criminal sexual conduct in Stearns County, Minnesota, which required him to register as a sex offender. Despite that conviction and being placed on probation, he continued to exploit the victim during the case proceedings.
A federal court ultimately sentenced Levi to 324 months in prison, equivalent to 27 years, for production of child sexual abuse material.
The case was investigated by federal and local law enforcement agencies as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the online sexual exploitation of children.
Officials say the program focuses on identifying offenders who use the internet to target minors, while also working to locate and assist victims.
Reports are sourced from official documents, law-enforcement updates, and credible investigations.
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