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Written by: A. Smith
Published February 2, 2026 @ 11:17 AM ET
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. – An Atlanta man who used Instagram to groom, kidnap and sexually assault teenage girls over several years has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison, prosecutors announced.
Jacques Jackson, 30, was sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty to charges including interstate transportation of a minor and enticement of minors to engage in illegal sexual activity. U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash Jr. also ordered Jackson to serve 10 years of supervised release following his prison term.
Federal prosecutors said Jackson used social media to identify vulnerable teenage girls, build trust through direct messages, and then coerce them into meeting him in person. In multiple cases, investigators said Jackson arranged transportation for the girls using ride-share services, transported them across state lines, and used intimidation, blackmail and physical violence to maintain control.
Jackson’s criminal history stretches back nearly a decade. Investigators later linked him through DNA evidence to a cold-case rape of a 15-year-old girl in Atlanta in 2015. In 2018, DeKalb County police encountered Jackson again after a bystander alerted officers that a 15-year-old girl appeared to be in distress inside a grocery store. The teen told police she met Jackson on Instagram and said he assaulted her, punched her, and destroyed her phone to prevent her from seeking help.
Despite that encounter, Jackson was released on bond. Prosecutors said he continued offending, targeting another 15-year-old girl in 2021. In that case, Jackson allegedly used a ride-share service to pick the teen up, took her to a motel, and repeatedly sexually assaulted her. Investigators later discovered Jackson recorded at least one encounter, which he used as leverage to silence the victim.
In June 2022, the FBI tracked Jackson to a Greyhound bus station in Big Spring, Texas, where he was arrested while traveling with another runaway minor. Authorities said Jackson was carrying a firearm and thousands of dollars in cash at the time of his arrest.
Prosecutors emphasized that the case highlights the dangers posed by online predators who use social media platforms to access and exploit minors. Law enforcement officials urged parents and guardians to monitor online activity and encourage teens to report suspicious or coercive behavior.
Jackson has remained in federal custody since his arrest and pleaded guilty in May 2025.