LAKE COUNTY, FLA. — A judge has sentenced a Lake County, Fl. man to life in prison for committing heinous sex acts on a child and sharing the images on social media.
Jesse A. Keifer, 38, of Clermont pleaded no contest to sexual battery of a child younger than 12, five counts of lewd and lascivious molestation, and eight counts of possession of child porn.
Circuit Judge Cary Rada imposed the sentence on Oct. 23.
“The defendant stated he ‘has a sickness’ and also a drinking problem, which both led to his behavior,” the probable cause affidavit stated.
He was arrested on Sept. 14, 2023. Prosecutors argued against letting him out on bond, “based on the charges, as well as the defendant’s ability to interact with children through his employment….” He worked at Disney World.
“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.”
The probable cause affidavit described graphic and sickening acts. The document was redacted to exclude the age and gender of the child, but it stated that the child was a “prepubescent juvenile.”
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and local law enforcement worked together on the case after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Authorities said they discovered two instances of file sharing with others who had similar perversions. He shared them on Snap Chat and Telegram social media sites. Computer experts tracked his IP address and issued a subpoena with his internet provider.
He admitted to investigators that he had captured between 10 and 100 sexually explicit images, had downloaded others but denied raping or letting anyone else abuse the child.
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.
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.
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Brittney Carman
Public Information Officer II
Office of the State Attorney
William M. Gladson
Fifth Judicial Circuit
110 NW First Avenue, Suite 5000
Ocala, FL 34475
(352) 671-5800 | www.SAO5.org
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