Robert L. Northrup, a 55-year-old resident of Niles, Michigan, has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison. This follows his guilty plea to several charges including attempted sexual exploitation of a minor and advertising child pornography. The announcement was made by Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
"Stopping those who intend to prey on children is among the highest priorities of our office and the Department of Justice," stated McGuire. "This sentence will make sure that Robert Northrup will not harm another child for a quarter century."
Court records reveal that between July 21 and August 22, 2022, Northrup engaged with an FBI online covert employee posing as a thirteen-year-old girl through an online dating application and text messages. His profile indicated an interest in young girls, which led him to request explicit photos from minors and send inappropriate content.
Northrup's criminal history includes convictions for Criminal Sexual Conduct Third Degree and Child Solicitation, necessitating his registration as a sex offender. He also has six convictions related to failure or attempted failure to register as a sex offender.
Following his prison term, Northrup will remain under supervised release for life. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Clarksville Resident Agency and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica R. Morrison.