Yavapai County News – On February 7, 2025, a Yavapai County Jury found 68-year-old Prescott resident Jeffrey Joseph York guilty of Luring a Minor for Sexual Exploitation and two counts of Attempted Sexual Conduct with a Minor. York is a retired deputy from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.
Yavapai County Attorney Dennis McGrane thanked the jurors for their careful attention to the facts, and commended Deputy County Attorneys Jason Nunez and Ashley Sturtz for meticulously preparing and presenting the case. County Attorney McGrane also thanked the Prescott Police Department, Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO), Partners Against Narcotics Trafficking (PANT), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Task Force on Human Trafficking for an excellent joint investigation into York’s criminal activity.
County Attorney Dennis McGrane stated, “Adults who prey on children have no place in our community. The fact that Mr. York was a retired law enforcement officer is a stark betrayal of the oath he once took, and of the many fine officers who serve their communities with distinction and honor, and who ultimately brought Mr. York to justice. I hope the lengthy prison sentence Mr. York is facing will send a clear message to sexual predators that they are not welcome in Yavapai County. Let me be clear, if you try to abuse a child here, you will be caught and aggressively prosecuted by my Office.”
The law enforcement investigation began on September 30, 2023, when local law enforcement as well as the FBI Task force on Human trafficking conducted an undercover social media operation to locate individuals who were seeking sex with minors. During the undercover operation, York reached out to an undercover officer on the internet and tried to arrange sex with a 7-year-old boy and an 11-year-old girl. York continued the conversation via social media, texting and two telephone conversations. York explicitly described acts that he planned to engage in with the children. York was arrested after he traveled to the arranged meeting spot.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 28, 2025, at 11 a.m. before the Honorable Michael McGill of the Yavapai County Superior Court. York is facing up to twenty-six years and three months in the Arizona State Prison.