Alabama Man Found Guilty of Child Exploitation Crimes

Tallahassee, Florida - Justin William Gifford, 26, of Enterprise, Alabama, has been found guilty by a federal jury in Tallahassee following a two-day trial on one count of attempted enticement of a minor, one count of attempted transfer of obscene material to minors, and one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the guilty verdict.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said, "Thanks to the outstanding investigative work by our state and federal law enforcement partners, and the excellent trial presentation by my Assistant U.S. Attorneys, this sexual predator will be held accountable for his attempts to sexually exploit a child. Keeping our kids safe is one of my highest priorities, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute these cases to stop deviants like this defendant from sexually victimizing children and exploiting them online."

During the two-day jury trial, court records and evidence showed that Gifford was identified during a multi-agency law enforcement operation conducted in June 2025, after he responded to an online advertisement on a website known for escort services. Over a two-day period, Gifford engaged in increasingly sexually explicit text and telephone conversations with an undercover investigator posing as a 15-year-old child. During the conversations, Gifford sent a photograph of an erect penis to the child, then planned to meet the minor in Panama City Beach to engage in sexual activity. Gifford was electronically tracked travelling from his home in Enterprise, Alabama, to Panama City Beach, where he was arrested upon his arrival at the agreed location. After his arrest, forensic analysis of Gifford's seized cellular telephone verified the communications and the obscene image were sent by him from his phone.

Gifford faces a minimum mandatory sentence of ten years' imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment, and is scheduled for sentencing in federal court before United States District Judge Mark A. Walker on June 25, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. in Tallahassee, Florida.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Panama City Beach Police Department, the Bay County Sheriff's Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Eric K Mountin and Justin M. Keen.

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 https://www.projectsafechildhood.govLinks 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..

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