HOUSTON – A 23-year-old man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for enticement of a minor online, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Malcolm Lenard Thomas pleaded guilty on June 21.
Recommended Videos
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge ordered Thomas to serve 121 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by 15 years of supervised release.
At the time of his plea, Thomas allegedly admitted he communicated via Instagram with whom he thought was a 15-year-old female.
He connected with the individual in October 2021. In those conversations, he allegedly conveyed his expectations to recruit her to engage in commercial sex in Houston for his own financial benefit, calling it the rules of “the game.”
Through numerous exchanges over social media and other means, he instructed her how to send him money. He then purchased a bus ticket for her to travel to Houston. He made arrangements to pick her up on Oct. 29, 2021. Upon his arrival, law enforcement took him into custody.
In addition to his plea, he also admitted to sending the bus ticket knowing the minor was coming to Houston to engage in commercial sex. He claimed his role would be to provide her with protection.
Thomas will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.