Eric James Templeton Sentenced in Child Luring Case

St. Petersburg resident Eric James Templeton, 33, is headed to federal prison for 15 years after attempting to meet and sexually abuse a 5-year-old child he believed was available for abuse. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber in Tampa, includes a concurrent 15-year term of supervised release, mandatory sex offender registration, and $11,700 in restitution.

Templeton pleaded guilty on March 9, 2021, to charges stemming from a three-day online exchange between May 19 and May 21, 2020. Posing as a parent, an undercover Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent engaged Templeton in digital conversations in which he openly expressed his intent to sexually abuse a young child. The defendant believed he was communicating with the mother of a 5-year-old.

Throughout the chat and subsequent text messages, Templeton escalated his conversations with graphic sexual intent. On May 21, 2020, he agreed to meet the supposed mother and child in Tampa for the sole purpose of abusing the child. When he arrived at the arranged location, he was immediately apprehended by HSI agents.

A search of Templeton’s person at the time of arrest revealed a bottle of lubricant and two lollipops—items law enforcement said were consistent with grooming behavior intended to manipulate and assault a young child. The evidence further solidified the predatory nature of his actions, according to prosecutors.

“Thanks to the partnership between HSI special agents and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, this child predator will now be behind bars,” said HSI Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Micah McCombs. “His actions were calculated, deliberate, and repulsive. The sentence reflects the severity of his intended crime.”

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Claire Favorit. It was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation. The program leverages federal, state, and local resources to identify, apprehend, and convict offenders—and to protect children from predators like Eric James Templeton.