Okaloosa County Man Arrested And Charged With Online Enticement Of A Child, Traveling With Intent To Engage In Sex With A Child, And Other Child Pornography Offenses

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of an indictment charging Chad Theodore Dillon (44, Okaloosa County) with 11 counts related to the sexual abuse of children. These charges include coercion and enticement of a minor, traveling with the intent to engage in sexual conduct with a minor, production of child pornography, transportation of child pornography, advertising for child pornography, and receipt of child pornography. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in federal prison on four of the counts, and a maximum of life in federal prison on two of the counts.

On August 3, 2016, Dillon was arrested in Jacksonville pursuant to a criminal complaint. He is being held in federal custody.   

According to court documents, between July 6 and July 13, 2016, Dillon engaged in a series of graphic online conversations with a 15-year-old child. During the course of these conversations, he discussed his desire and intention to travel to Georgia to have sex with the child, which he later did. Dillon took a photo of himself engaged in sexual activity with the child and sent it to her. He also sent the child explicit photos of himself.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.