Georgia Man Sentenced To 10 Years In Federal Prison For Attempting To Entice

Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Douglas Scott Phillips (52, Richmond Hill, GA) to 10 years in federal prison for attempting to entice an 11-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. Phillips was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender. 

Phillips had pleaded guilty on September 11, 2019.

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 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. On January 7, 2019, Phillips told the “mother” that he was serious about meeting with the “child” 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 advertisment and following up “just to see what it was.” He also admitted to engaging in sexual conversation with the “mother” and sending 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 was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

“HSI, along with our partners at the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, and the Liberty and Bryan County Sheriff’s Offices in Georgia, stopped this predator who attempted to commit vile sexual crimes against a young child,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “Anyone who plans to engage in these horrific acts should be on notice – they will pay a very steep price.”

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.