Frisco man sentenced to 20 years for abusing child at furry convention

Joseph Ray Robertson was sentenced to federal prison for transporting a minor from Frisco to Georgia in 2024 and sexually abusing the child.

A Frisco man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison and lifetime supervised release after admitting he transported a minor across state lines for sexual exploitation.

Joseph Ray Robertson, 37, pleaded guilty to transportation of a minor and was sentenced Monday by a federal judge, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Texas.

According to prosecutors, Robertson identified as a member of the "furry" subculture, a community whose members create anthropomorphic animal characters with human personalities and traits.

Prosecutors said Robertson transported the child to a furry convention in Atlanta, where he engaged in conduct that would constitute child molestation and sodomy under Georgia law.

Prosecutors also said Robertson purchased sexual stimulants and devices at the convention and commissioned artwork depicting his furry persona engaged in sexual acts with the minor.

In a statement, U.S. Attorney Jay Combs said in part, "This defendant turned a furry costume into a nightmare of sexual abuse. It shocks the conscience that a child was allowed into a convention where adults were dressed up as furry animals and sex devices were being sold. Not one person in that convention contacted the authorities to protect the child."

The case, investigated by the FBI and the Frisco Police Department, is part of Project Safe Childhood. An initiative nationwide that aims to combat sexual abuse and exploitation, according to a news release.