Jason R. Coody, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida
John Robert Burchett, 31, formerly of Panama City, Florida, has been sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison for producing and distributing obscene material. The sentencing was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin stated: “This successful federal prosecution is the result of close collaboration with our state law enforcement partners, and ensures this defendant will be held fully accountable for his criminal exploitation of vulnerable victims. I appreciate the outstanding work of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, the 14th Circuit State Attorney’s Office, and our federal law enforcement partners in helping to bring this offender to justice.”
According to court documents, in February 2024 the Bay County Sheriff’s Office received information that Burchett had used his cell phone to secretly record women changing clothes in a private dressing room at a gym in Panama City. Between September 2023 and January 2024, he uploaded thirteen videos to a public website where they were viewed thousands of times.
Burchett was initially arrested by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office on state charges. After coordination with the State Attorney’s Office for the 14th Judicial Circuit, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the U.S. Attorney’s Office pursued a federal indictment.
Sheriff Tommy Ford of Bay County said: “This was a deliberate and predatory invasion of the victims’ privacy, and it won’t be tolerated in Bay County. Investigators worked tirelessly to uncover the full scope of the defendant’s actions, and I’m grateful for the outstanding teamwork with our state and federal partners in holding the defendant accountable.”
State Attorney Larry Basford added: "The defendant violated the privacy of these innocent female victims and has been held accountable. By working with the U.S. Attorney, we were able to get a longer sentence for this defendant than was possible in state court for these crimes. I thank the Bay County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Attorney's Office for their role in pursuing justice for these victims."
Following his prison term, Burchett will serve two years of supervised release; any violation could result in further incarceration. He has also been ordered to pay restitution.
The case was investigated by local authorities with assistance from HSI. Assistant United States Attorneys Jordane New and Meredith L. Steer prosecuted.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices serving as principal litigators under direction from the Attorney General nationwide.
More information about public court documents can be found at http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
