Andre Maurice Lewis, Enticement of a Minor, Florida 2021

An Orlando man who used the internet to sexually exploit a 12-year-old child has been sentenced to life in federal prison.

U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron handed down the sentence to Andre Maurice Lewis, 37, of Orlando, who pleaded guilty on August 15, 2022, to enticement of a minor.

Lewis was ordered to forfeit the cellphone he used to commit the offense, a device that played a key role in his heinous crimes.

According to court documents and information presented in court, in January 2021, Lewis initiated a Snapchat conversation with a 12-year-old child, the daughter of an acquaintance. Despite the child’s repeated rebuffs and pleas to leave her alone, Lewis persisted, expressing an interest in meeting with her for sex.

The child, who was just 12 years old at the time, told Lewis that he was making her uncomfortable and that she was ‘just a little girl.’ However, Lewis continued to press her, even threatening to tell her parent about their Snapchat conversation unless she cooperated.

In a chilling twist, the child, out of fear, livestreamed a sexually explicit video of herself at Lewis’s behest. The investigation revealed that Lewis had previously communicated with dozens of individuals who told him they were minors, and in many cases, he had threatened to kidnap, rape, and kill them if they did not cooperate.

Lewis had a prior conviction for issuing written threats to kill or do bodily injury, making his latest crimes all the more egregious.

This case was investigated by the Orlando Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Emily C. L. Chang prosecuted the case.

This case is another example of the dangers of online predators and the importance of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the government to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.