A 31-year-old Jacksonville man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for using Facebook to solicit child pornography from a 9-year-old child. Chad Jason Lansford was ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
On January 2, 2015, Lansford engaged in a disturbing online conversation with the 9-year-old girl through Facebook. Despite knowing the child’s age, Lansford repeatedly requested that she take and send him pornographic pictures of herself. The child eventually complied with Lansford’s demands and sent him the explicit images.
The mother of the child had discovered the incriminating images on her daughter’s Facebook account in January 2015. A review of the child’s iPod revealed the online conversations between the child and Lansford, including the explicit message Lansford had sent to the child on January 2, 2015.
Lansford was arrested on March 12, 2015, and has been in custody ever since. He pleaded guilty to the charges on July 6, 2016. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown prosecuted the case. It is another example of the disturbing trend of online predators preying on vulnerable children.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
Lansford’s sentence serves as a warning to those who would engage in such heinous activities. The Department of Justice will continue to pursue those who exploit and harm children, and to bring them to justice.
Related Federal Cases
- Naomi Ruth Smith on Trial for Child Sex Trafficking · Georgia
- Waterloo Man Pleads Guilty To Child Porn Distribution · Iowa
- Child Support Scammers Mark Simpson and Stuart Cole Jailed · Texas
- Deltona Man Indicted in Child Porn Ring · Florida
- Merritt Island Man Sentenced To Over Six Years For Child Pornography · Florida
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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