SOUTH BEND, Ind.  – 40-year-old Kevin Roell, of South Bend, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. on his plea of guilty to attempted sex trafficking of a minor.

Roell was sentenced to 12 years in prison followed by eight years of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, in August 2022, Roell communicated over the internet with a person he agreed to pay to facilitate him having sex with a 15-year-old girl.

Roell used Bitcoin to pay a deposit, and then arrived at a hotel in South Bend with roses, jewelry, and cash planning to have sex with the minor. 

He was then arrested.