Sarasota man with a history of committing sexual abuse against children found guilty of  traveling for sex acts against a child, along with many other charges

The crimes carry a maximum possible sentence of life in prison.

Sentencing is currently scheduled for July 27, 2022, at 10:00 a.m.

The Defendant, who has a history of committing sexual abuse against children, attempted to engage in sexual conduct with a child he believed by him to be 14 years old. Over the course of his conversation with this child, he sent 88 images of pornography to groom this child to entice or encourage her to engage in sexual conduct with him. The defendant, 45 years old at the time, claimed he was 41, making him 31 years older than the child he traveled to have sexual activity with. Although the child mentioned many times that she was only 14 and alluded to her young age and immaturity throughout the conversation, the defendant persisted. Ultimately, he traveled two hours and parked his truck miles away at Home Depot then rode his bicycle to the decoy house. Upon arrival, he was immediately taken into custody.

The lead prosecutor in the case, Assistant State Attorney Kate Metz commented, “Traveler operations, like Intercept VII, save children from online predators like this defendant. A man with a history of committing sexual abuse on children. A man who sent 88 images of pornography to a child to convince her to engage in sexual activities with him. These predators exist, and the only way to find them and hold their criminal conduct accountable is through use of these covert operations. Detective Brandon Clark and Detective Cassandra Gaeta spent countless hours ensuring that no stone was left unturned in their investigation in this case. Because of their efforts, the Defendant’s victims finally have the closure they have sought for years.”

If you have any questions or would like further information please contact Assistant State Attorney Kate Metz in the Sarasota County office at 941-861-4400.