Jacksonville Man Arrested for Trying to Entice a 13-Year-Old
A disturbing case of child exploitation has come to light in Florida. Tony Leroy Bartley, Jr. (37, Jacksonville) has been arrested and charged with using his cellphone and the internet to attempt to entice a 13-year-old child to engage in sexual activity.
According to court documents, between June 17 and July 30, 2025, an FBI agent (UC) in Jacksonville was conducting an undercover operation on an online social media application to identify adults who were seeking to make online contact with and engage in sexual activity with children.
On July 25, 26, and 29, 2025, the UC and app user ‘keven’ exchanged several private online messages on the app and via text message. After the UC advised ‘keven’ that ‘she’ was only 13 years old, ‘keven’ suggested that they engage in sexual activity.
App user ‘keven,’ who was subsequently identified as Bartley, asked the ‘child’ about her sexual experience, described sexual acts that he wanted to perform on the ‘child,’ and sent an explicit photo of himself to the ‘child.’
A criminal complaint 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.
Bartley was arrested by FBI agents in Ponte Vedra Beach on August 5, 2025. He remains in custody pending a detention hearing set for August 11, 2025.
Defendant: Tony Leroy Bartley, Jr.
Criminal Charges: Using a cellphone and the internet to attempt to entice a 13-year-old child to engage in sexual activity.
City and State: Jacksonville, Florida
Exact Date: June 17 – July 30, 2025 (crime date), August 5, 2025 (arrest date)
Sentence or Outcome: Bartley faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release if convicted.
Related Federal Cases
- Eric James Templeton, Attempting to Entice a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity, Florida 2021 · Arkansas
- Chad Allen Pease, Attempting to Entice a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity, Florida 2024 · Wisconsin
- John David Stahlman, Attempting to Persuade a Minor, Florida 2016 · North Carolina
- Matthew Bryan Caniff, Attempted Online Enticement of a Minor, Florida 2024 · Arkansas
- Thomas Hill, Enticement of a Minor and Production of Child Pornography, Florida 2020 · Virginia
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