Tampa Republic

United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg has announced the indictment of John Don Bannister, Jr., a 30-year-old resident of Clermont, Florida, on two counts of producing child sex abuse material. If convicted, Bannister faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in federal prison for each count. He is currently detained pending the resolution of the case.

The indictment alleges that on April 26 and May 4, 2023, Bannister employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of creating visual depictions.

It is important to note that an indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Mascotte Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg will prosecute the case.

This case falls under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative leverages resources from federal, state, and local agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children sexually and aims to identify and rescue victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.