A Kentucky man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for distributing child pornography in South Florida. James Ray Nichols, 32, of Louisville, Ky., was sentenced on December 12, 2024, in the Southern District of Florida.
Nichols pleaded guilty to the charge of distribution of child pornography. According to court records, he used a social networking application on his phone to discuss having sex with an 8-year-old and 3-year-old in conversations with an undercover Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Task Force Officer and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) Detective posing as the children’s mother in the Southern District of Florida.
Between January and July 2024, Nichols distributed multiple videos of child sexual abuse material to the undercover officer. On July 17, HSI agents executed a search warrant at Nichols’ Kentucky residence, where he was found with a phone that held a cache of child sexual exploitation material.
At sentencing, Nichols agreed to pay $10,000 restitution to victims of the material he distributed. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of HSI Miami, and Sheriff Rick Bradshaw of PBSO made the announcement.
The investigation was conducted by HSI West Palm Beach and PBSO, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Nichols was found guilty of distributing child pornography, a serious crime that can have devastating effects on the victims. The sentence of 15 years in prison and 25 years of supervised release sends a strong message that such crimes will not be tolerated.
If you suspect child sexual exploitation or abuse, you can report it to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678.
The case number is 24-cr-80093. You can find related court documents and information on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Related Federal Cases
- John James Adducci, Child Pornography, Florida 2025 · Alaska
- Brian Alan Jones, Child Pornography Production, Florida 2024 · Kentucky
- Erich Clifford Mandell Ramos, Production of Child Pornography, Florida 2023 · Kentucky
- Lawrence H. Dorman, Production of Child Pornography, Florida 2013 · Kentucky
- Michael Brian Grzybowicz, Child Pornography, Florida 2012 · Arkansas
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Sex CrimesSex CrimesSex CrimesSex Crimes