Sylacauga Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Attempted Child Enticement

BIRMINGHAM – A federal judge yesterday sentenced a Sylacauga man to 10 years in prison for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr.

U.S. District Judge Abdul K. Kallon sentenced Jerry Wayne Hamilton, Jr., 49, on one-count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.  Hamilton pled guilty to the charge in May 2019. According to court documents, Hamilton chatted with what he believed to be a 15-year old female on several different dating and chat applications between October 13, 2018 and October 21, 2018.  In actuality, Hamilton was communicating with an undercover detective.  On October 21, 2018, Hamilton arrived at Barnes and Noble to meet who he thought was the 15-year old female, but instead was met and arrested by the Mountain Brook Police Department.  

“This defendant deserves every day of his 120-month sentence in a federal prison because of his reprehensible acts,” Town said.  “Our law enforcement will continue to vigilantly monitor the internet using every available method available to us to uncover predators like Hamilton who seek to prey on innocent children.  I commend the collaborative efforts of the FBI and the Mountain Book Police Department to bring this defendant to justice, proving once again there is no daylight between our local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.”

“The FBI and our partners will continue to work diligently to bring individuals like Hamilton to justice and protect our most valuable asset, our children,” Sharp said.  

FBI Birmingham Division Child Exploitation Task Force along with Mountain Brook Police Department investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White prosecuted.