MARION COUNTY, Fla. – A 40-year-old Ocala man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for soliciting a minor.
Matthew Hand was found guilty of Traveling to Meet a Minor and Soliciting a Child for Unlawful Sexual Conduct. The conviction stems from a December 2023 arrest following an Ocala Police Department (OPD) investigation.
During an undercover operation, an OPD officer posed as a 12-year-old girl online.
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Despite being repeatedly informed of the decoy’s age, Hand engaged in sexually explicit conversations and arranged to meet for sexual activity.
“Despite the defendant being informed numerous times of this decoy’s age, he still wasn’t deterred,” said Walter Forgie, Fifth Judicial Circuit Chief Assistant State Attorney. “Hopefully, this substantial sentence will help him think about his decision.”
Assistant State Attorney Shanae Pickens prosecuted the case.
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