(Lake County, FL) Last week, our office presented substantial evidence during a sentencing hearing against the defendant, 38-year-old Jesse Allen Kiefer. Kiefer was found guilty and sentenced on a slew of charges, including:

• 1 count of Sexual Battery on a Child less than 12
• 2 counts of Lewd or Lascivious Molestation of a Child less than 12
• 3 counts of Lewd or lascivious Exhibition in the Presence of a Child
• 7 counts of Promoting a Sexual Performance by a Child
• 8 counts of Possession of Child Pornography

Kiefer was sentenced to Life in the Florida Department of Corrections.  

“We are sending a strong message to predators everywhere: our office, along with our law enforcement partners, will not tolerate this abhorrent behavior,” said Bill Gladson, Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney. “Our top priority is the protection of our children, and as long as there are predators seeking to harm them, we will dedicate our resources to apprehend and prosecute these offenders.”

On September 14, 2023, officials with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement executed a search warrant for the home Kiefer was residing in, due to the distribution of child sexual abuse material using an account registered to Kiefer. Officials were able to obtain the warrant after receiving a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an account was sending illicit material depicting child sexual abuse material.

During the execution of the search warrant, Kiefer was interviewed about the account in question. Post-Miranda, Kiefer admitted to owning and operating the reported account.  When further questioned about his ownership of the account and if he had ever possessed files of child pornography, Kiefer indicated he had.  He confessed to taking the pictures and then sharing them with other users.

This case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Kati Cosden, with a special thank you to FDLE Agent Tammy Dunlap, the lead agent who worked extensively on this case to bring this defendant to justice.

Published on 10/28/2024.