U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Buddy Allen Travis, a 42-year-old resident of Bradenton, to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for producing and receiving child sexual abuse material. This will be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Travis had pled guilty on October 1, 2024.

Court documents reveal that Travis used Facebook to persuade a 14-year-old minor to engage in sexual activity with him. He engaged in sexual conversations with the victim and requested her to send sexually explicit images. Additionally, Travis sent obscene images of himself to the minor.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation into this case, which was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.

This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program involves federal, state, and local resources working together to apprehend individuals who exploit children and rescue victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.