A man from Grand Rapids, Michigan has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison after admitting to attempting to sexually exploit a child. Jermaine Taylor, Jr., age 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James R. Knepp after pleading guilty to Coercion and Enticement. Following his release from prison, Taylor will be subject to 20 years of supervised release and must pay a $3,000 fine.
Court records show that between May 19 and June 6, 2025, Taylor communicated with an individual he believed was the parent of a 9-year-old girl through a social media platform. The individual was actually an undercover agent. During these conversations, Taylor expressed interest in engaging in sexual acts with children and gave explicit examples of his intentions. He arranged to meet the purported child in Toledo and traveled there from Columbus for this purpose. Upon arrival at the agreed location, FBI agents arrested him.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Toledo Resident Agency’s Violent Crimes Against Children Taskforce. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Al-Sorghali and Alissa M. Sterling for the Northern District of Ohio.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide program led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices aimed at combating online child exploitation and abuse by coordinating federal, state, and local efforts to apprehend offenders and assist victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at justice.gov/PSC.
Incidents of child exploitation can be reported online at cybertipline.org or by calling 1-800-843-5678 at any time.
