Woodbury Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for “Deliberate, Persistent Sextortion Scheme"

ST. PAUL, MINN. – Timothy Lennard Gebhart, age 38, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 360 months imprisonment followed by 10 years of supervised release for production and attempted production of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, and interstate communications with intent to extort, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

For more than two years, from July 2021 until September 2023, Gebhart executed a massive “sextortion” scheme designed to victimize minor children.  Gebhart used online platforms including Instagram and Snapchat to target minor children as young as twelve years old.  Gebhart used aliases—including 66 different Snapchat aliases—to pose as a teenager or someone much younger than his true age.  Gebhart befriended his victims.  Gebhart then convinced his victims to send him sexually explicit videos and photos.  He also sought out sexual encounters with his victims.

After Gebhart obtained the sexually explicit materials from the children, he would threaten to distribute those photos and videos to the classmates, friends, and family members of his victims unless his victims provided him with more sexually explicit materials.  Gebhart would also send his child victims disturbing videos depicting gruesome and violent deaths to shock them into compliance. Gebhart’s threats to the children often included hateful language.

In sentencing Gebhart to a term of 30 years in prison, U.S. District Judge Jerry W. Blackwell called this a “deliberate, persistent sextortion scheme.”   

The case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Woodbury Police Department, and the Indiana State Police.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Classen prosecuted the case.