James Allen Shook, Child Sex Enticement, Florida 2020

Child Sex Enticement Lands Repeat Offender 20 Years in Prison

A 49-year-old Weeki Wachee man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for attempting to entice a 13-year-old to engage in sex. James Allen Shook was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis on February 11, 2021. Shook was also ordered to serve a life term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.

According to court documents, on January 24, 2020, Shook posted an online classified ad seeking "young horny girls" for sex, "first timers welcome!" and "all ages welcome!" Despite learning that the "child" was 13, Shook arranged to travel to Clay County to engage in sex acts with the child. Shook also requested a nude photograph of the child and sent the child photographs of himself, including an explicit photo.

When Shook arrived at what he believed was the child's home, he was arrested by Homeland Security Investigations special agents. In an interview with agents, Shook stated that he had a sexual interest in children and that he searches the internet daily for child sexual abuse images, that it arouses him, and that he had searched for sexually explicit materials depicting children as young as 2 years old. Shook also admitted that he had displayed his penis to underage girls in person hundreds of times.

Shook has nine prior felony convictions in New Jersey for lewdness, including five for lewdness involving children under 13. This case was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Clay County Sheriff's Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.

This case is another example of the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The U.S. government has launched a nationwide initiative to combat this issue, known as Project Safe Childhood. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.

Judge Davis's sentence reflects the seriousness of Shook's crimes and the need to protect our children from predators like him. Shook's prior convictions and his admission of child sexual abuse make him a serious threat to society, and this sentence is a reminder that we will hold accountable those who harm our children.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/weeki-wachee-repeat-offender-sentenced-20-years-federal-prison-attempting-entice-13