An Orange County man pleaded not guilty Thursday to a five-count federal grand jury indictment alleging he attempted to use Reddit to solicit sex from a 13-year-old girl who turned out to be an undercover law enforcement officer, authorities said.
Shaw Warrington, 34, of San Juan Capistrano, is charged with one count of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, one count of attempted production of child pornography, one count of commission of a felony involving a minor while required to register as a sex offender, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
The convicted sex offender entered his plea Thursday during arraignment in United States District Court in Santa Ana.
Trial was set for July 16. If convicted, Warrington faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in federal prison.
In January and February of 2023, Warrington used Reddit to solicit sex from minors in Orange County, according to the indictment unsealed Thursday.
Instead, an undercover law enforcement official responded to Warrington’s requests and eventually scheduled a meeting at a Newport Beach shopping center, where he was arrested by officers with the FBI and the Newport Beach Police Department.
Officers searched Warrington’s mobile phone and found two images of child sexual abuse, the indictment said.
Law enforcement also seized a firearm and more than 350 rounds of ammunition from his home.
Warrington is not permitted to possess firearms because of his 2013 felony conviction in Orange County Superior Court for meeting a minor with the intent to engage in lewd conduct. He is also required to register as a sex offender.