TALLAHASSEE — A 29-year-old Panama City man has been federally indicted on a charge of attempted enticement of a minor, a crime that carries a minimum of 10 years in prison and up to life imprisonment, U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin for the Northern District of Florida announced.
Austen Scott Tucker appeared for his arraignment in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles A. Stampelos in Tallahassee. His jury trial is scheduled for July 20, 2026, before District Court Judge Mark E. Walker.
The case was jointly investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin M. Keen is prosecuting the case.
The indictment was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program is led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, marshaling federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
“An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated. “All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.”
Tucker’s jury trial before Judge Walker in Tallahassee is set for July 20, 2026.