A 55-year-old man was sentenced to 30 years in prison this week after prosecutors said he pleaded guilty and admitted to driving from Dallas to Collin County to meet a 14-year-old girl he met online in 2024.
Brent Lane Allen was arrested in April 2024 as part of an undercover operation targeting online sexual predators, according to a news release from the Collin County District Attorney’s office.
Allen had responded to a Craigslist ad that included an underage girl and a phone number, according to the release. The ad was actually posted by an undercover Texas DPS special agent, according to the district attorney’s office.
After learning the supposed girl was 14, Allen sent explicit text messages describing planned sexual acts and arranging a meeting that night, prosecutors said in the release.
Crime in The News
He drove 40 minutes from Dallas to a Collin County park and was arrested after arriving. During his arrest, 2.5 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded firearm were confiscated, according to the release.
During the search of Allen’s phone, prosecutors said numerous texts about narcotics, firearms trafficking and solicitation of prostitution were found.
After a three-day trial, Allen was sentenced to 10 years for possession of a controlled substance and 20 years for online solicitation of a minor.
As part of his sentencing, Allen is also required by law to register as a sex offender for life.
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