Jonathan Shiffler flew to Arizona from Georgia in June to have sex with an underage Sierra Vista girl he became acquainted with via an online gaming platform. He also planned to help her run away after providing the teen with money, clothing, and even food since November 2021, according to court documents.
The only problem is the teen was only 15 at the time Shiffler started sending her money in exchange for sexually explicit images and videos. And he was 21, and knew she was trying to support a younger sister after adult family members failed to provide them proper care.
The contact between Shiffler and the girl continued until this spring when a Sierra Vista police detective and special agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) took over the girl’s phone to message with Shiffler while posing as the girl.
Shiffler, now 23, flew into Arizona on June 9. He was arrested the next day when he arrived at a city park to meet the girl after renting a hotel room nearby, court documents show.
On Friday, Shiffler pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated luring of a minor for sexual exploitation and one count of luring a minor for sexual exploitation. The aggravated count involves the transmission of sexually explicit images to a minor, while the luring count stems from Shiffler’s decision to come to Sierra Vista.
Judge Joel Larson of the Cochise County Superior Court will conduct a formal sentencing Sept. 19, although a plea agreement dictates that Shiffler must serve five years in the Arizona Department of Corrections followed by up to 10 years of probation. Shiffler must also register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
The court file reveals the girl and her sister began living alone after their grandmother, who was their caregiver, died in 2021. Another family member was “checking in” on the girls but they had no regular supervision.
The Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) later intervened with the family and in April 2022 a case worker discovered the teen had shared her troubles with a few men she was acquainted with through online gaming. One such man was Shiffler.
“She stated she told them she was 15 years old and they told her they were in their 20s,” SVPD Det. Thomas Ransford noted in a probable cause statement supporting Shiffler’s arrest. The detective noted that in addition to financial support, Shiffler also paid to send the girl lingerie and adult sex toys at various times.
The involvement of DCS did not lead to an end of the contact between Shiffler and the teen. The girl had to be hospitalized briefly in May of this year, at which time her guardian discovered evidence of the continued relationship.
Shiffler was using a different online username but it did not take long for Ransford to confirm his identity. The teen later told the detective she had reinitiated contact with Shiffler after which he allowed her to use his credit card.
“She said she would send him regular photos and illicit photos of the outfits he would buy for her and she would order using his card,” Ransford noted, adding that teen also continued to record sexually explicit videos to send to Shiffler.
The plea deal offered by the Cochise County Attorney’s Office appears to recognize Shiffler took responsibility for his actions and avoided the need for the girl to testify at trial. He remains in the Cochise County jail on a no-bond order.
A second adult male who sent the same teen money for support and received numerous illicit images in return was identified in Ransford’s statement as a member of the U.S. Navy at the time. That investigation has been handled by federal authorities and no details have been revealed as part of Shiffler’s case.