Former police officer pleads guilty to attempting to entice child

LONGVIEW — A former Longview police officer pleaded guilty in federal court to attempting to entice a child for sexual activity. According to our news partner KETK, Seth Estes Vanover, 51, of Diana, faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years to life in prison, and a potential life term of supervised release. Vanover was arrested at the Longview Police Department in October 2022 where he was employed as a law enforcement officer at the time. He was caught through an undercover operation by an FBI agent who was working to “identify adults seeking to make online contact with and engage in sexual activity with children.” The agent posed as the parent of an 11-year-old child and posted a notice in a public chat room, which Vanover reportedly answered with a private message.

“Vanover confirmed that he was ‘into yung’ and sent the agent several photos depicting child erotica as well as a photo of a nude adult male,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. “Vanover and the undercover agent discussed the sexual experience of the purported 11-year-old ‘child,’ and Vanover stated that he would ‘love to’ meet them in Florida and would ‘love to be naked with’ the ‘child.’” Vanover and the agent reportedly discussed meeting in Florida for Vanover to “engage in sexual activity with the ‘child.’”

He was arrested on October 12, 2022, and resigned from the police department the same day.

“A review of the phone revealed that it contained at least 230 videos and 130 photos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including infants, toddlers, and young children,” according to prosecutors. “This phone also contained sexually explicit online written communications that Vanover had with other app users, as well as child sexual abuse videos and photos that Vanover received during some of these conversations.”

The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance and cooperation from the Longview Police Department, prosecutors said.