25 YO Jacksonville Man Charged in Federal Indictment for Attempted Enticement of a 13 YO Girl

Written by Crime Beat Correspondent Kirsten Kimbal

JACKSONVILLE – Adeis Jonathan Francis, 25, of Jacksonville, has been indicted on charges of attempted enticement of a child to engage in sexual activity, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced. If convicted, Francis faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, along with the possibility of lifetime supervised release.

According to court documents, between February 17 and March 6, 2026, an FBI undercover agent posing as a 13-year-old child initiated contact via an online social media application in an operation spanning Jacksonville and Pensacola. The agent, identified in filings as “UC,” exchanged multiple messages with an app user known as “Jay,” later identified as Francis.

After the undercover agent disclosed the purported child’s age, Francis inquired whether the minor was comfortable continuing the conversation and requested photographs. On March 5, 2026, he asked if the child was a virgin and texted explicit offers, stating, “I can show you how to have sex,” while describing specific sexual acts he intended to perform. Subsequent communications detailed plans to meet in person for sexual activity.

On March 6, 2026, Francis boarded a bus in Jacksonville and traveled to the vicinity of the child’s stated residence, where FBI agents arrested him.

U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe emphasized the seriousness of the charges. An indictment represents only a formal accusation; every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s offices in Jacksonville and Pensacola and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney D. Rodney Brown. It forms part of Project Safe Childhood.

Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a nationwide initiative launched by the U.S. Department of Justice in May 2006 to address the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. It serves as a unified and comprehensive national strategy that integrates law enforcement efforts, community engagement, and public awareness to reduce the incidence of such crimes, with a particular focus on offenses facilitated through the Internet and other technologies.

The program is led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Its core mission involves marshaling federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, while simultaneously identifying, rescuing, and supporting child victims. PSC operates through coordinated partnerships in each federal judicial district, modeled after the earlier Project Safe Neighborhoods framework.

Five essential components define its approach: (1) building strategic partnerships among law enforcement agencies and community organizations; (2) coordinating investigative and prosecutorial efforts across jurisdictions; (3) providing specialized training to PSC partners; (4) promoting public awareness to prevent exploitation; and (5) ensuring accountability through measurable outcomes and oversight.

In addition to direct enforcement actions, PSC encompasses the National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction, which outlines broader prevention and interdiction priorities. The initiative supports ongoing training programs, resource publications, and community outreach to enhance capabilities at all levels of government.

As of 2026, PSC continues to drive federal prosecutions, as evidenced by recent cases involving child pornography and enticement offenses. For further details, including the full national strategy and resources, the official website at www.justice.gov/psc provides comprehensive information. This structured framework underscores the Department of Justice’s commitment to protecting children through sustained, collaborative action.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Dedicated journalism requires not only real effort and real dedication, but real money. The Florida Sun Journal will NEVER be influenced by the deep pockets of savvy investors who want to use their wealth to, in any way, influence or block the rightful dissemination of information to the public in accordance with their own personal ideologies. For that reason, we rely on the help of our everyday readers in assisting us to keep the lines of honest and factual information running fluidly through our pages, videos, and podcasts. If you have the means and the desire to help our mission of restoring integrity and neutrality to journalism, please consider becoming a subscriber to our publication and receive a lot of really cool perks in the process. Visit www.patreon.com/FloridaSunJournal for more information or to subscribe.