Auston McLain, Attempted Enticement of a Minor, Alabama 2013

Peoria, IL – A 71-year-old Peoria man has been sentenced to 240 months in prison for attempting to entice a minor.

Jimmy Deffenbaugh, 71, was arrested on April 9, 2020, after a thorough investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Illinois State Police.

According to court documents, Deffenbaugh used a cellular device to respond to a solicitation ad in Peoria and attempted to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce an individual who had not attained the age of 18 years to engage in sexual activity.

Deffenbaugh entered a guilty plea on March 18, 2021, for one count of attempted enticement of a minor. He has since remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul B. Morris and Douglas F. McMeyer represented the government in the prosecution and sentencing of Deffenbaugh.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative aimed at combating the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

Deffenbaugh will serve 240 months in prison followed by lifetime supervised release.