A 55-year-old Maryland man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for using the internet to try and entice a minor to engage in sexual activity in Florida.
William Daniel Leonard, of Maryland, was found guilty after a two-day trial on October 12, 2023, and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza.
According to evidence presented during the trial and sentencing hearing, Leonard used the internet and his cellphone to reach out to an undercover agent who was posing as the father of a 13-year-old daughter. He expressed interest in meeting the “child” for sex and spent the next three weeks planning his trip from Maryland to Florida.
During the same time that he was making plans to come to Florida, Leonard was talking to two other minors online, a 14-year-old girl and a 16-year-old girl. He traveled to North Carolina on November 19, 2021, to see the 14-year-old girl after deciphering her address from a digital photograph that she had sent to Leonard.
On December 7, 2021, Leonard arrived in Florida with two boxes of condoms to meet the “notional” 13-year-old girl, where he was met by law enforcement officers and arrested. The court also ordered Leonard to forfeit a cellphone that was used to commit the offense.
“This predator sought to betray the innocence of a child, and his sentencing serves as a stark reminder of the consequences for those who seek to exploit our most vulnerable,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “Today’s sentencing underscores HSI’s commitment to the relentless pursuit of those who threaten the safety and security of our children.”\\
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Florida and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephanie McNeff and Amanda Daniels. This case was brought as 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.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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