Jason R. Coody, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida
Jericho Rayne Skipper, a 30-year-old resident of Panama City, Florida, has been sentenced to five years in prison and ten years of supervised release after pleading guilty to receipt of child pornography. In addition to his prison term, Skipper is required to pay $66,000 in restitution to the victims.
The sentencing was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. Heekin stated, “This case demonstrates the excellent work of our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners to identify those who prey upon the most vulnerable of members of our community—our young children. My office will aggressively prosecute anyone caught peddling child porn, and we will not rest until every child is safe from the predations of these sick individuals.”
Court records show that in July 2024, law enforcement officers in Panama City discovered that Skipper had used social media and online chat applications to exchange images depicting adults involved in sexually explicit acts with minors, including infants and toddlers. After his arrest, Skipper admitted to collecting these illegal images.
Nicholas Ingegno, Assistant Special Agent in Charge at Homeland Security Investigations Tallahassee said, “The abhorrent crime of trafficking imagery of the sexual abuse of children online is abhorrent at every level, and contributes to their repeated victimization. HSI is committed to continue working side-by-side with our state and local partners to identify these predators, remove their online footprints, and get victims the help the so desperately need.”
Sheriff Tommy Ford from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office added: “Keeping kids safe is a top priority, and it takes strong teamwork across agencies to make that happen. I’m proud of the partnership that helped bring this predator to justice.”
The investigation was conducted by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, Panama City Police Department, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith L. Steer.
This case falls under Project Safe Childhood—a national initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation through collaboration between federal prosecutors like U.S. Attorney’s Offices and other agencies. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida serves as one of 94 offices representing federal legal interests under guidance from the Attorney General. Public court documents are accessible via the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website (https://www.flnd.uscourts.gov/). Further details about this office are available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
