Legal/Law/Criminal Justice and Reform

Furry Fesses Up To Transporting Minor To His Convention, Gets 20 Years

Image not from story (dmuth, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)

A Texas man pled guilty to transporting a minor across state lines to a “furry” convention.

A judge sentenced Joseph Ray Robertson on Monday to 20 years in federal prison for transporting a minor to a furry convention in Atlanta from Frisco, Texas, the Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney’s office stated in a Department of Justice press release. The 37-year-old man allegedly sexually abused the minor during the May 2024 convention.

In addition to the 240-month prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Richard Schell sentenced Robertson to lifetime supervised release.

The U.S. Attorney’s office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

“This defendant’s actions were depraved and absolutely justify every day of the imposed 20-year sentence,” U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs stated in the press release. “Most children’s experiences with people costumed as animals comes in the context of fun encounters in theme parks. 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.”

The U.S. Attorney’s office defined furry as “a subculture of enthusiasts of anthropomorphic (human-like) animals in which fans create animal characters with human personalities and traits.”

Robertson commissioned a custom-made costume to “further facilitate his furry persona,” according to the press release.

Over 15,000 people attended “Furry Weekend Atlanta 2024” in May 2024, according to WikiFur.

Some of the acts Robertson committed during the convention constituted child molestation and sodomy under Georgia law, the U.S. Attorney’s office alleged. Additionally, Robertson allegedly purchased sexual stimulants and devices at the convention, and commissioned artwork depicting his furry persona engaging in sex acts with the minor.

Approximately 90% of furries identify as LGBTQ+, according to a 2020 survey conducted by Furscience.

“Not one person in that convention contacted the authorities to protect the child,” Combs stated. “Every child deserves security, dignity, and a community that stands fiercely in their defense. Protecting children is one of our most solemn responsibilities, and we will act ferociously against anyone who threatens their safety.”

The case was part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative aimed combatting technology-facilitated sexual exploitation of minors.