A former Omaha Boy Scout scoutmaster pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to one count of attempted child enticement and admitted to attempting to meet an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old girl for sex.
John Shores, 54, will face between 15 and 20 years in prison when he is sentenced in August. In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors dismissed six additional felony charges of attempted child enticement, attempted sexual exploitation of a minor and distribution of child pornography.
Shores was initially indicted last August on charges of attempted child exploitation and attempted child enticement after prosecutors said he “aggressively†pursued a sexual relationship with an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old girl online.
After his arrest, Shores was allowed to be released from custody on pretrial release. But just two weeks after his initial appearance, prosecutors filed a motion to detain Shores after a preliminary review of his cellphones revealed new evidence.
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“Defendant’s phones show multiple attempts to meet minors for sex, including a conversation with a person who repeatedly indicates that she is 11 years old,†the government’s motion to reconsider detention read. “In addition to pressuring minors to meet for the purpose of sex, defendant asks the 11-year-old to send images of herself and offers money to the 14-year-old and 16-year-old in exchange for sex.â€
Shores was detained again following the new information, and he has remained in custody since late August. In November, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment against Shores charging him with six additional felonies.
In his plea agreement, Shores admitted to engaging in an online conversation with the undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old girl in early August 2023. Throughout their conversations, according to the agreement, he asked the girl to send sexually explicit photos and sent explicit photos of himself.
The conversation took place on an app called Whisper, which allows users to anonymously post confessions. The app has been for lax moderation policies and the .
On Aug. 10, according to the plea agreement, Shores made arrangements to meet the girl in Omaha. When he arrived at the location, Shores was arrested. Four cellphones were seized from his car.
Shores will be sentenced on Aug. 23.