MN man sentenced to 21 years for grooming, abusing minors in multiple states
What Minnesota’s new child grooming law means
A new Minnesota law making child grooming a felony takes effect tomorrow. Attorney Stacey Benson joins us to explain what the law changes, how grooming is identified, and what parents and communities should know about preventing and reporting abuse.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A Minnesota man has been sentenced to more than 21 years in prison after admitting to using social media to target and abuse children across state lines.
Abusing minors investigation
What we know:
Trent Fair, 31, was sentenced on Aug. 11, 2026, to 260 months in prison and 20 years of supervised release. Fair pleaded guilty on April 2, 2026, to coercion and enticement of a minor.
Dig deeper:
Court documents show that between Aug. 15, 2024, and Febr. 1, 2025, Fair used social media and the internet to communicate with and groom a 15-year-old girl, convincing her to send sexually explicit videos. He admitted knowing she was underage at the time, charges outline.
In January 2025, Fair traveled from Minnesota to Virginia to engage in sexual activity with a minor. Law enforcement was called after an altercation, leading to Fair’s arrest when investigators confirmed the abuse.
Investigators later discovered Fair had solicited and obtained child sexual abuse material from several other minors, some as young as 10 years old. He also admitted to producing child pornography with at least a "few dozen" victims over several years, according to documents.
What they're saying:
"This arrest sends a clear message to anyone who uses social media to prey on children: we will find you, arrest you, and hold you accountable," said Fairfax County Chief of Police Kevin Davis in a press release accompanying the sentencing announcement. "This individual targeted a 15-year-old online and traveled hundreds of miles to exploit that child. Our detectives work relentlessly to identify these predators, protect children from further harm, and support survivors and their families."
Big picture view:
The investigation involved the Fairfax County Police Department in Virginia, the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, and other law enforcement partners in a coordinated effort to "demonstrate the dangers children face online and the seriousness with which authorities pursue offenders," a press release says.
The Source: Information provided by the U.S. Department of Justice.