Jason R. Coody, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida
Austin Marko Coates, a 27-year-old resident of Tallahassee, Florida, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges of sexual exploitation of children and distribution of child pornography. The announcement was made by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin stated: “One of our greatest responsibilities is the protection of our children, and I am proud of the excellent work by our state and federal law enforcement partners to help bring this disgusting individual to justice. This substantial sentence demonstrates our unwavering commitment to keeping the most vulnerable members of our community safe, and should serve as a warning to others who would attempt to harm them. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute these horrific crimes and will seek maximum punishments for those who engage in such heinous conduct.”
According to court records, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office began investigating Coates in January 2025 after receiving a Cybertip report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The report alleged that Coates had communicated with a minor through social media about sexually explicit topics. Federal search warrants were obtained for both Coates’ social media account and his residence in Tallahassee. During their investigation, agents found evidence that Coates sent child pornography to minors—some as young as 13—and solicited sexually explicit content from them. Multiple electronic devices seized during the search contained hundreds of videos and images depicting child pornography, including material involving young children and toddlers.
Homeland Security Investigations Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno commented: “This predator weaponized social media to target, entice, and manipulate vulnerable children to produce sexually explicit material to add to his collection of vile content. The hundreds of images and videos in his possession represent countless children, some as young as toddlers, whose pain was preserved and traded like currency. Crimes like these are a brutal reminder of why HSI and our partners fight every day to protect children and bring their offenders to justice.”
Coates will also be subject to lifetime supervised release following his imprisonment and must register as a sex offender permanently. Restitution payments were ordered for his victims.
The case resulted from a joint investigation by HSI and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office with support from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood—a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006—to address child sexual exploitation online by coordinating efforts among federal, state, and local 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 is one among 94 offices serving under direction from the Attorney General across the country; more details are available on its website at http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
