Reported / Citable
HOUSTON – A 53-year-old Spring resident has been sentenced for the sex trafficking of a minor.
John Alberth pleaded guilty Nov. 18, 2025.
U.S. District Judge George P. Hanks has ordered Alberth to serve 135 months in federal prison. Alberth was further ordered to serve five years on supervised release following his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Alberth was also ordered to register as a sex offender.
From Aug. 26 through Oct. 5, 2023, Alberth exchanged messages with a 16-year-old girl, and offered money in exchange for sexual activity and explicit photos.
As part of his plea, Alberth admitted paying the minor through CashApp and asking her to send him photos of herself that constituted child sexual abuse material.
Law enforcement discovered text messages confirming Alberth knew the victim was a minor.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Houston Police Department and Sheriff’s Offices in Harris and Galveston Counties.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Hileman prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page .
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Southern District of Texas — U.S. Department of Justice press release.