Tallahassee Man Sentenced for Federal Child Exploitation Crimes

Tallahassee, Florida - Chandler Brittain Smith, 27, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker to four years in federal prison for one count of attempted enticement of a minor and one count of attempted transfer of obscene material to minors. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: "This case is a terrifying reminder of the countless ways that sexual predators can reach our kids online, and underscores the necessity for parents to closely monitor the online activity of their children to keep them safe from being sexually exploited and victimized. Our excellent law enforcement partners are relentlessly pursuing those predators to stop them before they can hurt any more kids, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law to send them to federal prison."

Court documents reflect that in November 2025, Homeland Security Investigations, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Tallahassee Police Department conducted an undercover operation in Leon County focused on identifying individuals using the Internet to sexually exploit children. During the operation, law enforcement acted in an undercover capacity on an online social media platform posing as a minor child. Over a two-day period, the defendant sent the undercover investigator multiple sexually explicit messages and an obscene photo in an effort to entice and persuade the fictitious child to meet him for sexual activity. On November 10, 2025, the defendant traveled to a pre-determined meeting location for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with the child, at which time he was arrested.

After serving his term of imprisonment, Smith must register as a sexual offender.

"Predators who target children online are not anonymous, untouchable, or beyond the reach of law enforcement," said Homeland Security Investigations Tampa Acting Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno. "They are criminals, and we will find them. The threats facing children in digital spaces are growing, but so is the resolve of HSI and our state and federal partners to stop those who use the internet to sexually exploit and victimize minors. There is no safe place to hide behind a screen. If you pursue children, we will pursue you, and we will hold you accountable."

The case was jointly investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Tallahassee Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christie S. Utt.

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. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood 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 Justice.gov/PSC.

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 FloridaLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. website. For more information about the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.