Miami Courant

Jason James Atha, 50, a dentist from Broomfield, Colorado, was indicted yesterday in the Southern District of Florida for attempted enticement of a minor and transportation of child pornography.

According to allegations in the court record, including the indictment and previously filed criminal complaint, beginning on October 3, 2023, Atha used a social networking application on his phone in Colorado to solicit sex with an 8-year-old child through conversations with the child’s mother in the Southern District of Florida. The child’s purported “mother” was an undercover Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agent. Atha’s communications detailed the sexual acts he wanted to engage in with the child. On August 9, Atha flew to Palm Beach International Airport in the Southern District of Florida to consummate the sexual act and was arrested at the airport. A search of Atha’s devices revealed child pornography videos.

Atha had his initial appearance in West Palm Beach, Florida on August 12. An arraignment hearing is scheduled for August 26 at 10:00 a.m. before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in West Palm Beach. If convicted of the charged offenses, Atha faces a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison for attempted enticement of a minor and 20 years in prison for transportation of child pornography.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of HSI Miami made the announcement.

HSI West Palm Beach investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller is prosecuting it.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as identify and rescue victims.

Anyone with information regarding child sexual exploitation and abuse is encouraged to call (877) 4-HSI-TIP [(877) 447-4847].

A criminal complaint and indictment contain mere allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-80102.

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