Andrew Scott Crose was convicted of one count of Traveling to Seduce, Solicit, or Entice a Child to Commit a Sex Act

The defendant was sentenced as a Habitual Felony Offender to 30 years in the Department of Corrections followed by 10 years of Sexual Offender Probation.

In July of 2019, the Sarasota Sheriff’s Office conducted an undercover operation designed to identify individuals using the internet to sexually exploit children. The Defendant began speaking with an undercover agent via the social media platform “Meet Me.” The undercover agent advised they were a 14-year-old girl, and asked the Defendant if that was a problem. The Defendant confirmed that he did not mind that she was 14 and proceeded to engage in sexual conversation with the undercover agent. After four days of sending sexually explicit messages, the Defendant traveled to what he was told was the home of the 14-year-old girl and was taken into custody by law enforcement. Through investigation, it was revealed that the Defendant has been previously convicted of similar offenses twice, serving four years in prison for the second offense. The Defendant committed this crime less than one year after his release from prison.

The lead prosecutor in the case, Assistant State Attorney, Jordan Greene, commented, “As the internet becomes more and more ingrained in every facet of our lives, it becomes more important than ever that we identify those who will use it to prey on children. The Defendant made it abundantly clear that he was not going to stop engaging in this abhorrent behavior. He was a danger to every child on the internet, and thanks to the incredible investigation of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office the children of our community are safer tonight.”

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