JACKSONVILLE, FL – Tony Leroy Bartley, Jr., 37, of Jacksonville, is facing a lifetime behind bars after being arrested for a particularly vile crime: attempting to exploit a 13-year-old child online. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida announced the charges today, detailing a disturbing pattern of online grooming and solicitation.
According to court documents, Bartley engaged in a month-long exchange with an undercover FBI agent posing as a young girl on a social media application. Between June 17 and July 30, 2025, the agent, operating under the alias “keven,” engaged in online and text message conversations with Bartley. Even after explicitly stating she was only 13 years old, Bartley didn’t back down. Instead, he allegedly suggested sexual activity, probed the “child” about her sexual history, and graphically described his desires, even sending an explicit photograph.
FBI agents apprehended Bartley on August 5, 2025, in Ponte Vedra Beach. He is currently held in custody, awaiting a detention hearing scheduled for August 11, 2025. If convicted, Bartley faces a minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, with the potential for a life sentence. He could also be subjected to a lifetime of supervised release following his incarceration.
“This isn’t just about a few online messages,” stated U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. “This is about a predator actively seeking to harm a child, and we will pursue these cases to the fullest extent of the law.” The investigation was a joint effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, highlighting the collaborative approach taken to combat online child exploitation.
This case falls under Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to aggressively tackle the growing problem of child sexual abuse and exploitation. The project pools resources from federal, state, and local law enforcement to identify, arrest, and prosecute offenders, while simultaneously working to rescue victims and bring them justice. More information on Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.
Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown is prosecuting the case. It’s crucial to remember that a criminal complaint is simply an accusation, and Bartley is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. However, the evidence presented thus far paints a disturbing picture of a dangerous individual and serves as a stark reminder of the threats children face in the digital age. Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on any developments.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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