Evergreen Reporter

A Tiptonville, Tennessee man, Jerry Braddy, 45, has been sentenced to ten years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release for the attempted enticement of a minor. Upon release, he will be required to register as a sex offender.

The sentencing took place on February 4, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Jonathan E. Hawley. The court heard that between June 2 and June 12, 2024, Braddy engaged in online communication with someone he believed was the stepfather of a nine-year-old child. He agreed to meet them in Bloomington, Illinois for a sexual encounter with the minor. However, upon arrival at the meeting location, he was arrested by federal law enforcement agents with help from the McLean County Sheriff's Office.

Braddy was initially charged by criminal complaint in June 2024 and indicted shortly after. He pleaded guilty in August 2024 and has remained in custody since his arrest.

For this crime, statutory penalties range from a minimum of ten years to life imprisonment with an additional five years to life term of supervised release.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Springfield Field Office led the investigation into Braddy's case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The project combines efforts from U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) along with state and local resources to locate and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet and rescue victims.

More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov