Chad Allen Pease, Attempting to Entice a Minor, Florida 2024

Orlando, Florida - A convicted sex offender has been charged with a serious crime after attempting to entice a minor into a sexual relationship. Chad Allen Pease, 48, of Fort Pierce, was indicted by a federal grand jury for attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity and committing a felony offense involving a minor when required to register as a sex offender.

According to court documents, Pease began communicating with an undercover law enforcement officer on February 3, 2024, whom he believed to be the father of a 13-year-old girl. Over the course of the conversation, Pease made plans to meet up with the UC and his "daughter" so that he could have sex with the child. On February 4, 2024, Pease traveled to the prearranged meeting spot, where he was later arrested.

As a registered sex offender, Pease was required to comply with certain requirements, including registering with the state and avoiding contact with minors. However, it appears that he chose to disregard these rules and pursue a relationship with a minor, putting the child at risk of harm.

The indictment charges Pease with attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity and committing a felony offense involving a minor when required to register as a sex offender. If convicted on all counts, Pease faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 20 years, up to life, in federal prison.

Pease's case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Osceola County Sheriff's Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/convicted-sex-offender-indicted-attempting-entice-minor-engage-sexual-activity