Orange County man accused of using Reddit to solicit sex from minors
An Orange County man faces a five-count federal grand jury indictment after allegedly soliciting sex from a cop posing as a 13-year-old girl on Reddit.
The US Department of Justice said on Monday that 34-year-old Shaw Warrington was charged with five counts:
- attempted enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity
- attempted production of child pornography
- commission of a felony offense involving a minor while required to register as a sex offender
- possession of child pornography
- being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Warrington pled not guilty. If convicted as charged, he could face between 25 years to life in federal prison. Investigators claimed Warrington used Reddit between January and February 2023 to solicit sex from minors in Orange County. He eventually encountered the undercover officer posing as a teenage girl and scheduled a meeting at a Newport Beach shopping center, where he was later arrested.
Investigators searched his phone and found two images of child sexual abuse material. While searching his home, officers found a firearm and more than 350 rounds of ammunition, according to the DOJ.
An Orange County Superior Court convicted Warrington in 2013 for meeting a minor with the intent to engage in lewd conduct. He was forced to register as a sex offender after the case.