A Navy sailor has been sentenced to ten years in prison for attempting to sexually exploit a minor. Michael Buck Brockway, a 40-year-old from Jacksonville, received the federal prison term after being convicted of using the internet and his cellphone to try to lure a 13-year-old child into sexual activity. After his prison term, Brockway will face ten years of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender, according to the United States Attorney's Office.
An undercover agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service had been posing as the underage child during interactions with Brockway. After their online exchanges on various social media platforms, Brockway was arrested by Jacksonville Sheriff's Office detectives when he arrived at the meeting spot on July 28, 2023. The discovery of his cellphone contained further damning evidence — images and videos of child sexual abuse. Upon his arrest, Brockway was found to be carrying condoms and investigators also found in his car personal lubricant, a bottle of vodka, and a sex toy, as reported by the United States Attorney's Office.
This case is part of the broader Project Safe Childhood initiative, launched by the Department of Justice in 2006. The nationwide project aims to address the serious crisis of child exploitation and abuse by coordinating the efforts of various government agencies. Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown led the prosecution, emphasizing the commitment to protecting the innocence of childhood from online predators, as stated by the United States Attorney's Office.
