Southern California man arrested for using Reddit to solicit sex from minor

A guard seen escorting a prisoner at a California prison in this undated photo. (KTLA)

A 34-year-old Orange County man faces 25 years to life in prison after his arrest last week for allegedly using the social media platform Reddit to solicit sex from what he thought was a 13-year-old girl , but who was in prison. He is in fact an undercover law enforcement agent, authorities announced earlier this month.

In January and February 2023, San Juan Capistrano resident Shaw Warrington attempted to use Reddit to solicit sex from minors in Orange County, according to an indictment unsealed on May 23, 2024.

“An undercover law enforcement agent responded to Warrington's requests and ultimately scheduled a meeting at a Newport Beach shopping center, where Warrington believed he would engage in criminal sexual activity,” a statement from press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California.

The 34-year-old was arrested after appearing at the meeting and a search of his mobile phone allegedly revealed two images of child sexual abuse material.

During a search of his home, investigators discovered a gun and more than 350 rounds of ammunition, authorities said. Warrington, convicted in 2013 of meeting a minor with the intent to engage in lewd conduct, is not legally allowed to possess a firearm or ammunition.

The U.S. Attorney's Office charged the 34-year-old with:

• one count of attempting to entice a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity
• one count of attempted production of child pornography
• one count of committing a crime involving a minor while required to register as a sex offender
• one count of possession of child pornography
• one count of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition

At his arraignment in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, Warrington pleaded not guilty to all charges. He is being held without bail.

The trial date has been set for July 16.

If convicted on all counts, Warrington faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years – 15 years for attempted production of child pornography and a mandatory consecutive sentence of 10 years for commission of a crime involving a minor while he is required to register as a sex offender, the release noted.

The maximum legal sentence he could face is life in federal prison.

Detectives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Newport Beach Police Department continue to investigate the case.