Jared James Dabbs, a resident of Fayetteville, Arkansas, has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison following a conviction on charges related to child exploitation. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. Dabbs, aged 41, was charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and three counts of receipt of child pornography. The charges were brought against him by a federal grand jury in December 2022, and he entered a guilty plea to all counts on August 19, 2024.
The case against Dabbs began after he pawned a laptop on March 8, 2022, at Big Boss Pawn and Gun in Giles County, Tennessee. Upon inspecting the device, the pawn shop owner discovered material of child sexual abuse and reported it to the authorities. "Because of the vigilance of a sharp-eyed pawn shop employee, law enforcement was alerted, responded swiftly, and a child predator was removed from the streets," stated Rana Saoud, a Special Agent in Charge at Homeland Security Investigations.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant on the laptop, confirming the presence of child sexual abuse material. The Giles County Sheriff's Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the FBI conducted a subsequent search at Dabbs' residence, seizing multiple electronic devices. During the investigation, Dabbs admitted to producing sexual abuse material involving a minor, engaging in sexual contact with the minor on several occasions, and downloading and viewing such content on other devices.
"The protection of children in our communities from sexual predators is among the highest priorities of the Department of Justice," asserted Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. "Thanks to the efforts of our prosecutors and our law enforcement partners, Jared Dabbs will never hurt another child again and justice has been done."
In addition to his prison sentence, Dabbs will undergo 10 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. The court also ordered him to pay $69,600 in restitution.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI Nashville Field Office, and the Giles County Sheriff's Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monica R. Morrison and Robert E. McGuire prosecuted the case. "Children are among the most vulnerable in our communities," remarked Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. "The FBI is committed to finding and arresting those who prey on children."
The proceedings align with Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to address child sexual exploitation and abuse.
