JACKSONVILLE, FL – Forty years in federal prison. That’s the sentence handed down to Jerry Michael Moore, 42, of Indiana, after he pleaded guilty to producing and attempting to produce child sexual abuse materials. U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger also ordered Moore to face a lifetime of supervised release following his incarceration, a sentence delivered today that barely scratches the surface of the depravity of his crimes.
The case unfolded on January 30, 2025, at the Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) Cruise Terminal. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers, already aware of Moore’s 2007 conviction in Indiana for sexual misconduct with a minor, conducted a search upon his return from a cruise. It wasn’t a routine check; it was a targeted stop based on a known history of predatory behavior. That diligence paid off. Inside Moore’s cellphone, hidden within a cleverly disguised folder, investigators found multiple surreptitious video files depicting what appeared to be a minor female child to whom Moore had access.
Homeland Security Investigations agents quickly confirmed the horrific content on the device. Moore, confronted with the evidence, confessed to utilizing multiple hidden cameras – including his cellphone – to secretly record the child. The details are particularly sickening: Moore used a hidden camera to peer through a crawl space, accessing the inside of a shower through the wall to capture images of the victim. Further examination of his phone revealed even more recordings, painting a picture of calculated and sustained abuse.
Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington prosecuted the case, presenting the damning evidence to the court. This wasn’t a crime of impulse; it was a deliberate, premeditated violation of trust and a gross betrayal of a vulnerable child. The 40-year sentence, while substantial, can’t undo the trauma inflicted on the victim, but it does remove a dangerous predator from society for a significant period.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the escalating epidemic of child sexual exploitation. The program brings together federal, state, and local resources to identify, apprehend, and prosecute those who prey on children, and to rescue victims from unimaginable suffering. More information on Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.
The investigation was a joint effort between the dedicated officers of United States Customs and Border Protection and the agents of Homeland Security Investigations. Their work serves as a stark reminder that those who exploit children will be relentlessly pursued and brought to justice, even when they attempt to conceal their crimes across state lines and international waters. This conviction sends a clear message: there is nowhere to hide.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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