Former Police Lieutenant Sentenced to Nearly 13 Years for Attempting to Entice a Child Online

Jacksonville, Florida – Seth Estes Vanover, a 52-year-old resident of Diana, TX, has been handed a severe prison sentence of 12 years and 11 months by Chief United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan. Vanover was found guilty of attempting to entice an 11-year-old child to engage in sexual activity through the use of an online social messaging app. In addition to the prison term, Vanover will also serve a 15-year period of supervised release, be required to register as a sex offender, and forfeit four iPhone devices. The guilty plea was entered on August 21, 2023.

An Elaborate Undercover Operation

According to court documents and evidence presented during the trial, an undercover FBI agent initiated an online operation on July 25, 2022, aimed at identifying individuals seeking to exploit children for sexual purposes. Posing as a person with access to an 11-year-old child, the undercover agent posted a notice on the social messaging app. It was through this post that the agent encountered a user named “jattleson,” later identified as Seth Estes Vanover. Vanover explicitly expressed his interest in minors, sending the undercover agent multiple photos depicting child erotica and a nude adult male. Throughout their online conversations in August and September 2022, Vanover discussed his desire to meet the child in Florida and engage in sexual acts. In disturbing detail, Vanover described the specific acts he intended to perform on the child and directed the undercover agent on how to prepare the child for the encounter.

A Shocking Discovery

Following the extensive online conversations and investigation, Vanover was apprehended by FBI agents on October 12, 2022, at the Longview Police Department in Longview, Texas. Vanover, who held the position of police lieutenant, resigned from his role on the same day. During a search of the patrol car used by Vanover, law enforcement officials discovered a cellphone belonging to him. Subsequent analysis of the phone revealed an appalling collection of 234 videos and 133 photos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including infants, toddlers, and other young children. Additionally, the phone contained explicit online communications that Vanover had engaged in with other app users, as well as child sexual abuse materials that he had solicited and received during these conversations.

A Collaborative Investigation

The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation into this distressing case, with the invaluable support and cooperation of the Longview (Texas) Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown skillfully prosecuted the case, ensuring that justice was served.

For more information about the Public Affairs Office of the Department of Justice, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.