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Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Images Depicting Child Abuse

A Jacksonville man has pleaded guilty to producing images depicting himself as he sexually abused an 11-year-old child, according to a federal indictment unsealed today. Columbus Donavan Jeffrey, 43, faces an aggregate mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, and up to 60 years, in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release.

Jeffrey was arrested on October 3, 2019, and remains in custody. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

According to court documents, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received information from a company that hosts an online social messaging application. On May 3, 2019, a user named ‘hideme1977’ had uploaded several pornographic images. These photos were taken by Jeffrey showing him sexually abusing an 11-year-old child.

When interviewed, Jeffrey admitted that he had used the ‘hideme1977’ username on the app. He also identified himself and the child as depicted in one of the photos that Jeffrey had uploaded to the app on May 3, 2019. JSO detectives were able to locate the child shown in the photos.

During an interview, the child disclosed that Jeffrey had sexually abused the child on at least three separate occasions and had taken pictures of this sexual abuse during two of these incidents. A forensic examination of Jeffrey’s cellphone revealed that it contained 635 images and 57 videos depicting the sexual abuse of minors.

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys D. Rodney Brown and Kelly S. Karase.

This case is another example of the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The Department of Justice has launched a nationwide initiative to combat this issue, known as Project Safe Childhood.

Key Facts

• State: Florida
• Category: Sex Crimes
• Source: DOJ Press Release ↗

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