In Jacksonville, a lengthy prison sentence has been handed down to Jeremy Wayne Leggett, a 37-year-old man from the area who attempted to engage in sexual activity with a minor. Chief United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard sentenced Leggett to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to using the internet with the intent to entice a child. Details of the case, as described by the U.S. Attorney's Office, reveal Leggett's prior conviction as a registered child sex offender, stemming from offenses in 2020.
Leggett's latest arrest came on June 19, 2023, after an undercover FBI agent, posing as a 13-year-old child, engaged in conversation with him on a social media app. Leggett, using the username "dAddi," had posted a message that read “Lookingfor [under 18 emoji] wannaspoiladaughter.” According to U.S. Attorney's Office court records, he proceeded to send explicit photos to the undercover agent and repeatedly tried to arrange a sexual encounter. When finally attempting to meet the supposed child at a Jacksonville retail shopping center, Leggett tried to flee from law enforcement but was swiftly apprehended.
The investigation was a coordinated effort by the FBI, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service. The prosecution of the case was carried out by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown. This case is part of the broader Project Safe Childhood initiative, launched in 2006, which aims to address the alarming issue of child sexual exploitation and abuse across the country.
Project Safe Childhood combines the efforts of various law enforcement levels, leveraging federal, state, and local resources to track and prosecute offenders while working to identify and rescue victims. Since its inception, the program has been instrumental in spotlighting the critical need to protect vulnerable children from sexual predators. Leggett's case underscores the relentless pursuit of justice that those involved in Project Safe Childhood are committed to.
