Texas man sentenced to 20 years for trip to Kentucky for sex with a minor

A Texas man will serve up to 20 years in prison for making the 15-hour drive from Texas to Winchester last year to have sex with a minor.

Emre Nathaniel Baluken, 24, was sentenced Oct. 6 in federal court to 240 months for online enticement to engage in unlawful sexual activity and traveling for sex with a minor.

Baluken drove from Tomball, Texas, to Winchester Nov. 13, 2024, to pick up a minor he had been talking to on Instagram and X.com, formerly Twitter, according to court documents. The U.S. Justice Department says he exchanged sexually explicit photos and videos with the minor, and he intended to return to Texas with the victim before he was apprehended.

He pleaded guilty in April, but filed an appeal in late October, according to electronic court records.

If upheld, Baluken must serve at least 17 years in prison under federal law. He would be under supervised probation for 10 years after release.

Austin R. Ramsey

Lexington Herald-Leader

Austin R. Ramsey covers Kentucky’s eastern Appalachian region and environmental stories across the commonwealth. A native Kentuckian, he has had stints as a local government reporter in the state’s western coalfields and a regulatory reporter in Washington, D.C. He is most at home outdoors.