Tallahassee, Florida – A Panama City Beach man has been indicted for attempting to entice a minor, a federal crime that carries severe penalties. Amani Lawrence, 27, was charged with attempted enticement of a minor by a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Florida, announced United States Attorney John P. Heekin.
Lawrence appeared in federal court in Tallahassee, Florida, before United States Magistrate Judge Charles A. Stampelos for his arraignment. A jury trial is scheduled for May 26, 2026, before District Judge Mark E. Walker.
If convicted, Lawrence faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment or life imprisonment. The case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Panama City Beach Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen is prosecuting the case.
Lawrence is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which the government will have to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law.
The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006, the project marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. For more information about the case, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website or the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida website.
Related Federal Cases
- Windell Holton, Attempted Enticement of a Minor, Florida 2016 · Alabama
- Matthew Bryan Caniff, Attempted Online Enticement of a Minor, Florida 2024 · Arkansas
- Nicholaus Tripp, Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet, South Dakota 2018 · South Dakota
- Frederick M Pohl Jr, Attempted Child Enticement, Florida 2019 · Alaska
- Thomas Hill, Enticement of a Minor and Production of Child Pornography, Florida 2020 · Virginia
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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