Panama City Man Indicted for Attempted Enticement of a Minor

Tallahassee, Florida - Michael Ray Pennington, 60, of Panama City, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for Attempted Enticement of a Minor. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charge.

Pennington appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Charles Stampelos in Tallahassee, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for May 26, 2026, before District Court Judge Mark Walker.

If convicted, Pennington faces a minimum 10 years' imprisonment, and up to Life imprisonment.

The case is being jointly investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bay County Sheriff's Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

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 https://www.projectsafechildhood.govLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link..

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 FloridaLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. website. For more information about the United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.