BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WDNews) – A Shelby County man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for attempting to exploit a minor and possessing child pornography.
U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala sentenced Justin Warren Lindstrom, 43, of Sterrett, to 120 months in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Lindstrom pleaded guilty in April to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor and possession of child pornography.
He will also be required to register as a sex offender under federal law.
Prosecutors said Lindstrom was arrested in November 2023 after responding to an undercover officer posing as a 15-year-old girl online. He arrived at a Vestavia Hills park to meet the minor and was taken into custody by local police.
A later search uncovered child pornography in one of his email accounts.
“Thanks to the collaborative efforts of our dedicated law enforcement partners and prosecutors, we have removed yet another child predator from our community,” U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona said. “Today’s sentence ensures he can no longer pose a threat to our most vulnerable – our children.”
“This sentencing confirms that the FBI and our partners will stop at nothing to protect our children from predators who seek to exploit them,” FBI Birmingham Special Agent in Charge David R. Fitzgibbons added.
The case was prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative targeting online child exploitation. Authorities urge anyone with information about child exploitation to contact the FBI Birmingham Office at 205-326-6166 or file a report online at www.cybertipline.org.
