Jacksonville, Florida – Chief United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Stephen Michael Lippincott, a 70-year-old resident of Kissimmee, to 25 years in federal prison for producing child sexual abuse material. In addition to the prison term, Lippincott is required to serve a 15-year term of supervised release and register as a sex offender.
Court records reveal that on January 18, 2024, Lippincott was preparing for a four-day cruise to the Bahamas when Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers searched his cell phone at the Jax Port Cruise Terminal. The search was initiated following a tip-off about a possible warrant for indecent exposure against Lippincott from New Jersey. The investigation uncovered communications between Lippincott and multiple female children aged between 8 and 14 on various social media platforms. He had also sent money to at least six female children in exchange for watching him perform sexual acts, which he recorded on his phone.
“Violating the innocence of a child is a detestable act and a betrayal of the trust that fortifies the safety of our communities,” stated Tim Hemker, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Jacksonville assistant Special Agent in Charge. “Alongside our partners at the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Jacksonville, HSI will not rest until every predator who seeks to sexually exploit children is brought to justice.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office, and the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro prosecuted the case.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project mobilizes federal, state, and local resources to apprehend individuals who exploit children sexually while identifying and rescuing victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.