A man from Tomball, Texas, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for online enticement of a minor and traveling for sex with a minor. Emre Nathaniel Baluken, 24, received the sentence on October 6 from U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove.
Court documents show that Baluken drove from Texas to Winchester, Kentucky, on November 13, 2024. He intended to pick up a minor he had been communicating with online through X and Instagram for several months and return with the minor to Texas. After being detained by law enforcement, Baluken admitted to exchanging sexually explicit videos and photos with the victim over these platforms.
Baluken is required by federal law to serve at least 85 percent of his sentence before becoming eligible for release. Following his prison term, he will be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for ten years.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Louisville Field Office, announced the sentencing. The FBI led the investigation into the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Chapman prosecuted it on behalf of the United States.
The prosecution was part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started in 2006 by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse online. The program brings together federal, state, and local resources to locate offenders and rescue victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
