A former Fort Lauderdale tennis coach has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to coercing and enticing two minors to engage in sexual activity.
MIAMI – Daniel James Riggs, 33, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison on Thursday by U.S. District Judge Melissa Damian.
The former tennis coach worked at a Fort Lauderdale tennis center where both minor victims were his students.
Riggs used multiple social media accounts to communicate with the victims and engage them in sexually explicit conversations, according to court records.
Law enforcement identified several social media accounts used by Riggs through subscriber and billing records.
The offense conduct occurred from approximately 2021 through Riggs’ arrest in late 2024.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida said, “Children and parents trust coaches with more than athletic instruction. They trust them with safety, guidance, and character. This defendant abused that trust in the most disturbing way imaginable, using his position to groom and sexually exploit the very students he was supposed to mentor.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Camille Smith prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 25-cr-60038.
The Southern District of Florida will continue to pursue predators who target children and ensure they face the full weight of the law.
Related Federal Cases
- Victor James Sporman, Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Child, California 2024 · California
- Eric James Templeton, Child Luring and Sex Abuse, Florida 2024 · Wisconsin
- James Joseph Weishaar, Child Sex Abuse Material, Florida 2023 · Florida
- James Joseph Weishaar, Child Sex Abuse Material Receipt, Florida 2023 · Alaska
- Justin Vancott-Harnish, Sex Trafficking, Florida 2025 · Alabama
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Sex CrimesSex CrimesSex CrimesSex Crimes