Former Longview Police Department Lieutenant Seth Estes Vanover, 52, of Diana, has been sentenced to nearly 13 years in federal prison for online solicitation of an 11-year-old Florida girl. Vanover pleaded guilty to the charge in a Jacksonville, Florida court. The court also ordered him to serve a 15-year term of supervised release, register as a sex offender, and forfeit four iPhone devices.
Vanover, arrested on October 12, 2022, at the Longview Police Department, faced charges of online solicitation of a minor. Information from the arrest affidavit revealed that Vanover utilized hardware owned by the City of Longview for his interactions.
The former police lieutenant entered his guilty plea in a Duval County, Florida federal court in August. Chief United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan sentenced Vanover to 12 years and 11 months in federal prison on Thursday. In addition to the prison term, Vanover must serve a 15-year sentence of supervised release, register as a sex offender, and forfeit four iPhone devices.
According to details in the arrest affidavit, Vanover had contact with an undercover special agent of the FBI as part of an operation targeting individuals seeking illegal sexual activity with children. The initial contact with Vanover occurred on a social media app known for being used by those interested in minors for sexual activity.
