Jason R. Coody, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida
Mark David Swearingen, a 32-year-old resident of Cottondale, Florida, has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of conspiracy to possess and transportation of child pornography. The announcement was made by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“Our state and federal law enforcement partners are unified in their commitment to root out and eliminate the threats posed by predators who sexually exploit and victimize children, and this investigation and successful prosecution is another step toward achieving that goal. The possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material has the effect of re-victimizing the sexually exploited children each and every time those horrific images and videos are shared, and this abhorrent crime deserves the most severe punishment. My office will not hesitate to pursue maximum justice in these cases to keep our kids safe,” said U.S. Attorney Heekin.
According to court documents, Swearingen became the subject of an investigation in 2025 after law enforcement received information that he had used a Google account to access child pornography. Authorities obtained a search warrant and found hundreds of images depicting minors being sexually abused by adults on several electronic devices.
Swearingen faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, with a maximum possible sentence of twenty years, as well as lifetime supervision upon release. Sentencing is scheduled for March 26, 2026, at 3:00 pm at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Mark E. Walker.
The case resulted from a joint investigation involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and assistance from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Meredith L. Steer is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 that coordinates federal, state, and local resources to combat child sexual exploitation online. More details about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is among 94 offices nationwide responsible for federal litigation under direction from the Attorney General. Public court documents can be accessed through the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. Additional information about the office is available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
