JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville man was sentenced to 17 years and six months in federal prison for attempting to entice and meet a 13-year-old child to engage in sexual activity, according to the United States Attorney’s Office.
Officials said Jeremy Wayne Leggett, 37, was arrested on June 19, 2023, and he pleaded guilty on Jan. 15 of this year.
Recommended Videos
On June 16, 2023, an undercover FBI agent in the Jacksonville area, posing as a child, was working online in a social media application to identify people seeking to meet children for sexual activity.
The undercover agent engaged in online conversation with an app user by the name “dAddi” who posted a notice in a public chat room that read “Lookingfor [under 18 emoji] wannaspoiladaughter.” During this online conversation, user “dAddi,” who was identified as Leggett, was advised that the “child” was 13 years old.
According to officials, Leggett denied being a murderer or a kidnapper, and told the “child” that he was “just a pedophile.”
After more conversation, Leggett sent the “child” explicit photos of himself, officials said.
On June 17, 18, and 19, 2023, Leggett initiated text messages with the undercover agent and continued attempting to persuade the “child” to meet for sex.
On June 19, 2023, Leggett and the “child” arranged through text messages to meet at a retail shopping center in Jacksonville. That evening, Leggett drove his vehicle to this location to meet the “child” and circled the parking lot.
When law enforcement officers attempted to stop Leggett’s car, he quickly reversed and left the scene, according to officials.
Leggett was later found at a Jacksonville home and arrested.
According to officials, Leggett is a registered sex offender, as he was previously convicted in Florida in 2020 for traveling to meet a minor to commit an “unlawful sexual offense” and transmitting harmful materials to a minor.