CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A 41-year-old man has been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor.
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo sentenced Robert Steven Lanier to 151 months in federal prison. The court noted Lanier expressed a proclivity for children and left his home twice — while caring for his own minor children — to engage in sexual acts with a 12-year-old child.
Lanier must also serve 15 years on supervised release following his prison term. During that time, he must comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
Authorities identified Lanier in 2025 while conducting investigations into a Kik chatroom. Kik is a messaging app that, like many similar apps, is often exploited by predators to gain access to children.
Lanier had been communicating with someone he believed to be the father of a 12-year-old girl. In those conversations, he expressed interest in engaging in sexual activities with the child. He also stated he preferred children under the age of 16, considered child pornography to be "window shopping," and wanted to be the child's "sugar daddy." He described the sexual acts he wanted to conduct with her and expressed a desire to meet the minor.
On March 18, Lanier arrived at a gas station where he intended to have sexual relations with the minor in his car. Law enforcement took him into custody upon his arrival.
Lanier will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Makens prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the DOJ Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section lead the initiative, which marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood is available at justice.gov.
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