Homeland Security agent pleads guilty in child porn case
Timothy Gregg (Supplied)
EAGAN, Minn. (FOX 9) - A Homeland Security agent charged in a child porn case has pleaded guilty, admitting to having sex with an underage girl on multiple occasions in court documents.
Homeland Security agent porn plea
What we know:
U.S. Homeland Security agent Timothy Gregg pleaded guilty to a single count of transportation of visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
With the plea, Gregg avoided a conviction on a production of child porn charge, which carries a 15-year minimum sentence.
The backstory:
According to the complaint, Gregg was arrested after the father of the victim found explicit images on his daughter's phone. Gregg was stored in the girl's phone as "Labubu," according to the complaint.
Prosecutors said Gregg had sent explicit messages to the girl and met up with her at hotels. Gregg allegedly used his Homeland Security number and email to book the hotel rooms.
Dig deeper:
According to the plea agreement, Gregg admitted to meeting up with the girl at least nine times between early March and May, when the father discovered the photos. The meet-ups were mostly on Sundays at a local hotel.
Gregg apparently met the girl on Tinder, where the girl had a listed age of 19 on the app. According to the court docs, the girl also initially told the agent she was 19.
However, after the fourth meeting, authorities say Gregg looked the girl up on a law enforcement database and found out she was 17. However, he continued to meet with the girl and sent her texts with "sexually explicit material."
What's next:
A sentencing date has not yet been set for Gregg. He faces a minimum of five years behind bars and the potential of up to 20 years.
In the agreement, prosecutors suggest Gregg faces between 14 and 17.5 years behind bars.