Jacksonville, Florida – Douglas Scott Phillips (52, Richmond Hill, Georgia) has pleaded guilty to using the internet to attempt to entice a child to engage in sexual activity. Phillips faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison, and a potential life term of supervised release.

According to court documents, on November 15, 2018, a detective from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office engaged in an online undercover operation to identify individuals seeking to meet children for sex. The detective posted a notice on an online bulletin board using the fictitious persona of a “mother” with “a young 11-year-old daughter.” Phillips responded to the notice and confirmed the age of the “daughter.” Phillips indicated that he was “very interested” and sent the “mother” an explicit photo of himself. 

Over the next two months, Phillips and the undercover officer had several online conversations in which Phillips expressed his desire and intention to engage in sexual activity with the “child.” During the conversations, Phillips instructed the “child” how to masturbate and sent pornographic photos illustrating how to do so. Phillips stated that he wanted to teach the “child” about sex in person. On January 7, 2019, Phillips told the “mother” that he was “serious about making this [meeting with the “child”] happen” and confirmed that he had texted with the “child” about masturbation.  

On January 18, 2019, Phillips was arrested at his home in Georgia. During an interview, Phillips admitted seeing the advertisement and following up “just to see what it was.” He also admitted to engaging in sexual conversations with the “mother” and sending explicit pictures of himself to the “child.”         

This case was investigated by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, the Liberty County (GA) Sheriff’s Office, and the Bryan County (GA) Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announced today the return of an indictment charging Douglas Scott Phillips (51, Richmond Hill, Georgia) with using the internet to attempt to entice a child to engage in sexual activity. Phillips faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release. Phillips was arrested at his home in Georgia by the United States Marshals Service on February 14, 2019. He will be transported to Jacksonville for further proceedings.    

This case was investigated by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Liberty County (GA) Sheriff’s Office, and the Bryan County (GA) Sheriff’s Office.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.