Timothy Allen Arthur, a 66-year-old resident of Bay Minette, Alabama, has been sentenced to 17½ years in prison following his guilty plea to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. The sentence was handed down by Judge DuBose on May 8, 2025.
The case began in the summer of 2023 when the Bay Minette Police Department (BMPD) was alerted to a situation involving the distribution of a nude photo of a student at a school. During their investigation, police interviewed Arthur and found his behavior suspicious. Teachers later discovered inappropriate comments made by Arthur on social media posts belonging to a 12-year-old child. These comments were documented and given to law enforcement.
Further investigation revealed that Arthur had been sending inappropriate text messages to the child for about a year. The child's phone was examined by BMPD, uncovering messages where Arthur solicited sex acts and requested naked images from her. Despite being reminded multiple times by the child that she was only 12 years old, Arthur continued his attempts.
Judge DuBose's sentencing includes not only imprisonment but also a decade-long supervised release period after incarceration. During his time in prison, Arthur will undergo sex offender treatment along with substance abuse and mental health programs. He is also required to register as a sex offender and maintain no contact with minors post-release. Additionally, he must pay $35,000 in restitution and $5,100 in special assessments.
The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations alongside BMPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kacey Chappelear led the prosecution for this case under Project Safe Childhood—a national initiative aimed at tackling child sexual exploitation and abuse since its inception in May 2006.
For more details on Project Safe Childhood or Internet safety education resources, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc or https://www.justice.gov/psc/publications-resources.