James Dean Collett Jr., 31, of Jeffersonville, has been sentenced to 35 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, after pleading guilty to two counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child and Attempt and two counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material. Collett Jr. was also ordered to pay $59,000 in restitution. The sentencing hearing was held on October 9th, 2026.
According to court documents, between September 2023 and August 2024, Collett used social media applications—including Instagram, Snapchat, and others—as well as text messaging to communicate with at least three minor victims located in Pennsylvania, Idaho, and Mississippi.
Investigators determined that Collett misrepresented his identity to the victims, falsely claiming to be a teenager when he was in fact in his late twenties. He feigned interest in the minors’ daily activities, complimented their appearance, and led them to believe they were, or soon could be, in an online romantic relationship with him. Collett then groomed the minors and persuaded them to send sexually explicit images and videos. He also threatened to distribute previously obtained images and videos if the victims failed to comply with his escalating demands.
Collett instructed the minor victims to create and send more than one hundred sexually explicit images and videos of themselves. He further demanded that victims involve younger relatives in this exploitation and send recordings of that conduct.
On February 8, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Collett’s residence and recovered an iPhone 8 containing child sexual abuse material. After the FBI seized the device and interviewed Collett, he obtained another phone and continued committing similar offenses until his arrest in August 2024.
“This sentence sends an unmistakable message: those who target and exploit children will face the full force of federal prosecution. Collett’s calculated manipulation, threats, and relentless pursuit of vulnerable victims were depraved and criminal,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Our office will continue to pursue predators like him with absolute resolve, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting children and delivering justice for every victim.”
“He didn’t just exploit children – he manipulated them, threatened them, and tried to pull even younger children into the abuse. That behavior demands a serious response,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley. “Protecting children means going after the people who prey on them. The FBI will use every tool at our disposal to find these predators and bring them to justice.”
The FBI Indianapolis Field Office investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carolyn A. Haney and Kyle M. Sawa, who prosecuted this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood 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.
If you are a victim of child sexual exploitation, please contact your local police department. Resources for victims of child exploitation can be found on our website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdin/project-safe-childhood
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