TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – John Frederick Black, 46, of Houston, Texas, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with one count of attempted transfer of obscene material to minors. The charge was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Court documents reflect that in January 2026, Leon County Sheriff’s Office detectives participated in an undercover operation in Tallahassee focused on identifying adults who used the Internet to sexually exploit children. During the operation, the defendant allegedly contacted the undercover officer, who he believed to be a 13-year-old girl, and engaged in sexually explicit conversation. The defendant is also alleged to have sent obscene photographs and videos of himself. The investigation revealed that Black resided in Texas and was employed as a detective with the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
If convicted, Black faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
The case involves an investigation by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.
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 and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Northern District of Florida — U.S. Department of Justice press release.