Minnesota man gets 21 years for multi-state child grooming
Trent Fair, 31, was sentenced Aug. 11, 2026, to 260 months in prison for coercion and enticement of a minor in a multi-state grooming case.[1]
He will also serve 20 years of supervised release after his prison term, federal prosecutors said.[1] Court documents say Fair admitted producing child pornography involving at least a "few dozen" victims and soliciting abuse material from minors as young as 10.[1]
Between Aug. 15, 2024, and Feb. 1, 2025, Fair groomed a 15-year-old girl online, obtained explicit videos from her, and traveled from Minnesota to Virginia to engage in sexual activity with her.[1] Investigators from Fairfax County Police, the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department and other partners used social media and other internet evidence to build the case.[1]
Longstanding research and reporting find that widespread adolescent social media use can enable sextortion, grooming, and other harms that investigators warn about in cases like this.
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📌 Key Facts
- Trent Fair, 31, was sentenced Aug. 11, 2026, to 260 months (about 21.5 years) in prison plus 20 years of supervised release for coercion and enticement of a minor.
- Between Aug. 15, 2024, and Feb. 1, 2025, Fair groomed a 15-year-old girl online, obtained explicit videos from her, and traveled from Minnesota to Virginia to engage in sexual activity with her.
- Fair admitted to producing child pornography with at least a "few dozen" victims and soliciting abuse material from other minors as young as 10, according to court documents.
- The case was investigated by Fairfax County Police, the FBI, Minneapolis Police Department and other law enforcement partners using social media and internet evidence.
- The U.S. Department of Justice emphasized the case illustrates the dangers children face online and the seriousness with which authorities pursue such offenders.
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