FORMER TALLAHASSEE CHURCH WORSHIP LEADER PLEADS GUILTY TO SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A CHILD

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Hunter Chase Eubanks, 31, of Tallahassee, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to sexual exploitation of a child. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the excellent investigative work of our local and federal law enforcement partners, this offender has been brought to justice for victimizing a vulnerable child.  My office will not hesitate to aggressively pursue prosecutions of these crimes to keep our children safe from sexual exploitation by predators like this defendant.”

Court documents reflect that between July 4, 2024, and October 9, 2024, Eubanks engaged in a sexual relationship with a minor who attended Morningside Church, where Eubanks served as a worship leader and led a church music internship program. The Leon County Sheriff’s Office opened a criminal investigation in October 2024 after it received a report about the sexual relationship. The investigation revealed that Eubanks engaged in sexual activity with the minor on multiple occasions at the church and elsewhere in Tallahassee. During their communications using an iPhone app, Hunter requested that the minor produce and send him images that would constitute child pornography.

Eubanks faces a minimum mandatory of 15 years’ imprisonment and a maximum of 30 years’ imprisonment, followed by five years to life of supervision upon release.

The case involved a joint investigation by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’ Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.

Sentencing is scheduled for November 24, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.