Jamie Underwood

At the time of the sting, Underwood lived in Blountsville, AL. He recently went through a divorce from a marriage of about twenty years. Like some others caught in Blount County stings, Underwood was familiar with Sheriff Mark Moon. Sheriff Moon described Underwood as a "friend" that he had known for many years and who would often send him encouraging messages when the Sheriff was going through some trouble. The Sheriff and Underwood met first when they both coached youth sports together.

When Underwood met the decoy at the sting house, he told her that he used to party in the very same house years before. He also asked the decoy if she was a police officer. The decoy told him that she was not, but Underwood expressed that he was "scared a little bit." Underwood further told her, "I don't want to get wrapped up in some bullsh**, you know what I mean? But you're fifteen. You f***ing kidding me?" He then told the decoy that she looked twenty, not fifteen. The decoy asked to confirm the deal of $100 for an hour, to which Underwood stated that he could "probably do more than that."

Underwood then noticed a camera hidden above the refrigerator. As he was investigating the camera, Chris Hansen and police came out to confront him. Underwood claimed to know that the situation was a set up, but still showed up anyway in order to "find out." Despite telling the decoy only a moment before that he could pay more than $100 for sex, Underwood claimed that he did not have any intention of having sex with a minor girl. Instead, Underwood blamed his reason for showing up on an internal instinct of "rebellion against current circumstances." The "current circumstances" were his divorce and feelings of anger and failure. The "rebellion" was meeting a minor girl for sex. Underwood maintained that he only showed up to ask the girl what circumstances in her life led her to selling her body to adult men. His plan, he claimed, was to leave without having sex with her. When asked what should happen to him, Underwood requested that he be allowed to go home without any charges because he "hadn't done anything wrong."

Due to Underwood's connection with Sheriff Moon, the Sheriff expressed great disappointment in finding him at the sting house. During the interview with Chris, Sheriff Moon held his tongue and sat on the couch. Sheriff Moon told Chris later that if Underwood's story about wanting to help the girl was true, he could have called the Sheriff himself to investigate. Because he did not, Sheriff Moon believed that Underwood's intentions were not to help the girl.

Electronic Solicitation Traveling to Meet a Child to Perform a Sexual Act Human Trafficking