Tampa, Florida - United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of an indictment charging Thomas Allen Vaughn (33, Patrick Air Force Base, Florida) with attempted enticement of a child for sexual activity. If convicted on all counts, he faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Vaughn that the United States intends to forfeit any property that he used during the commission of the offense.
According to the indictment, between Oct. 23, 2015, and Oct. 28, 2015, Vaughn used a cellphone and computer to attempt to entice a minor to engage in sex.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda C. Kaiser.
This case was 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 (CEOS), 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.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
