Former Florida Sheriff's Deputy Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Attempted Enticement of a Minor
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida announced on October 22 that Jarrod Gordon Eldridge, 31, of Tallahassee, a former Leon County Sheriff's Office deputy, has pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of attempted enticement of a minor.
Court documents show that in February 2024, Eldridge communicated online with a person he believed to be the parent of a minor — in fact an undercover law enforcement officer — to arrange sexual activity with a child, and then communicated directly, in explicit terms, with another undercover officer posing as a child. U.S. Attorney John Heekin said in the announcement that the successful prosecution resulted from outstanding investigative work by state and federal law enforcement partners, and that protecting children remains his office's top priority.
Eldridge faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison, followed by possible lifetime supervised release. Sentencing is set for January 14, 2027, in federal court in Tallahassee before U.S. District Judge Mark Walker; there is no parole in the federal system. The case was investigated by the Leon County Sheriff's Office and the FBI. According to local media reports, state charges against him remained pending as of October 22.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于塔拉哈西的佛罗里达州旧议会大厦。摄影：DXR，CC BY-SA 4.0（Wikimedia Commons）。Photo: The Old Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee. Photo by DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons).
