MARION COUNTY, Fla. — A 42-year-old Marion County man has pleaded guilty to federal charges after being caught in an undercover operation targeting child predators. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced that Shawn Adampeter Grunther admitted to attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity.
According to the plea agreement, the investigation unfolded in July 2025. A special agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) was working undercover online, posing as a 14-year-old girl. Investigators state that Grunther began messaging the account and, despite learning the “minor’s” age, engaged in a sexually explicit conversation.
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The exchange escalated on July 24, 2025, when Grunther traveled to a meeting spot in Marion County. Intending to meet the 14-year-old for sexual activity, he was instead met by law enforcement and arrested.
Grunther now faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
The case was investigated by HSI and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office under Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg is prosecuting the case.
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