A Tallahassee man was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to attempting to solicit sex from a minor he met via an online game.
Austin Keith Hibbert, 25, pled guilty earlier this year to attempting to seduce or persuade a minor to engage in sexual activity, attempting to travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and transferring obscene information to a person under the age of 16.
According to court documents, Hibbert communicated with a 13-year-old from Northern Europe over social media between May 2023 and August 2024. The two met through “a popular internet game,” according to records.
The contact quickly became sexual, and Hibbert informed the child that he would be traveling to Estonia to meet them. Records suggest that Hibbert also sent explicit videos to the child.
In August 2024, law authorities discovered that he had obtained a passport and scheduled a flight to Estonia. Police stopped Hibbert at the airport and checked his bags, discovering his passport, a bracelet, and a box of condoms.
A later investigation of his devices revealed Hibbert’s interactions with the child, his travel plans, and the fact that he had reserved a hotel near where the child lived.
According to Estonian police, this case exemplifies international collaboration in the fight against child sexual exploitation.
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