Jason James Atha, Attempted Enticement of Minor and Transportation of Child Pornography, Florida 2023

MIAMI – A Colorado dentist has been charged with attempting to entice a minor and transporting child pornography, according to a federal indictment in the Southern District of Florida.

Jason James Atha, 50, a dentist from Broomfield, Colo., was indicted yesterday for attempted enticement of a minor and transportation of child pornography, said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of HSI Miami.

According to allegations in the court record, beginning on Oct. 3, 2023, Atha used a social networking application on his phone in Colorado to solicit sex with an 8-year-old child through conversations with the child’s mother in the Southern District of Florida. The child’s purported “mother” was in fact an undercover Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agent.

Atha’s communications detailed the sexual acts he wanted to engage in with the child. On Aug. 9, Atha flew to Palm Beach International Airport, in the Southern District of Florida, to consummate the sexual act and was arrested at the airport. A search of Atha’s devices revealed child pornography videos.

Atha had his initial appearance in West Palm Beach, Fla. on Aug. 12. An arraignment hearing is scheduled for Aug. 26, at 10:00 a.m. before a U. S. Magistrate Judge in West Palm Beach.

If convicted of the charged offenses, Atha faces a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison for attempted enticement of a minor and 20 years in prison for transportation of child pornography.

Anyone with information regarding child sexual exploitation and abuse is encouraged to call (877) 4-HSI-TIP [(877) 447-4847].

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