Registered Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Attempted Enticement of a Minor

Tallahassee, Florida – Dawaun Shunard Jackson, 40, of Tallahassee, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of attempted enticement of a minor and one count of penalties for registered sex offenders. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I deeply appreciate the excellent investigative work of our local and federal law enforcement partners to catch this sexual predator before he could victimize and sexually exploit a child. Keeping our kids safe, both online and in our communities, remains a top priority for my office.  We will continue to aggressively prosecute the sick individuals who seek to prey upon innocent children to ensure they remain locked away in prison where they belong.”

Court documents reflect that between November 20-22, 2025, the Tallahassee Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other state and federal law enforcement agencies, conducted an undercover operation focused on identifying individuals using the internet to sexually exploit children. During the operation, an undercover officer posed as a 15-year-old girl and posted an ad on a website known for the solicitation of escorts. Court records show that the defendant responded to the ad and believed that he was communicating with a minor. Court records also show that the defendant offered the girl money in exchange for sex and arranged to meet her in Tallahassee. An investigation revealed that the defendant was a registered sex offender. After the defendant was arrested, his cell phone was seized as evidence, and a subsequent search of the device confirmed that he communicated with the undercover officer who posed as a 15-year-old girl.

Jackson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and up to life imprisonment, followed by up to a lifetime of supervision upon release, for the attempted enticement of a minor count. For the penalties for sex offenders count, Jackson also faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment consecutive to any other sentence imposed.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 13, 2026, at 11:00 am, at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida before United States District Judge Robert L. Hinkle.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tallahassee Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen is prosecuting the case.

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 for the Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.