by | Published
LAREDO, Texas — A 41-year-old man has been sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for attempting to coerce and entice a 12-year-old child following an undercover FBI investigation, federal authorities announced.
Robert Steven Lanier pleaded guilty on March 6 to coercion and enticement of a minor. U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo handed down a 151-month (12.5-year) federal prison term, alongside 15 years of supervised release and mandatory sex offender registration.
FBI-San Antonio first identified Lanier in 2025 during an ongoing federal investigation into illicit chatrooms on Kik, a messaging application frequently exploited by online predators.
During the investigation, Lanier communicated with an undercover entity he believed to be the father of a 12-year-old girl. In those messages, Lanier expressed an explicit desire to engage in sexual acts with the child, describing child pornography as "window shopping" and stating that he wanted to act as the minor's "sugar daddy." Lanier also explicitly voiced a preference for children under 16 years of age.
The investigation culminated on March 18, when Lanier arrived at a designated gas station intending to meet the minor and engage in sexual activity inside his vehicle. Federal agents and partnering law enforcement officers took him into custody immediately upon his arrival.
In assessing the sentence, Judge Marmolejo noted Lanier's severe proclivity for children. The court specifically highlighted evidence revealing that Lanier had left his own home on two separate occasions—while actively responsible for caring for his own minor children—in order to travel and attempt sexual encounters with a 12-year-old girl.
Upon completion of his 151-month prison term, Lanier will serve 15 years on supervised release, subject to strict conditions restricting his access to minors and the internet. He remains in federal custody pending transfer to a designated Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
