TAMPA, Fla. – Joseph Rocco Quaranta, 48, of Dunnellon, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, for attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber handed down the sentence after Quaranta pleaded guilty on November 19, 2024.
Court documents reveal that on July 25, 2024, Quaranta contacted an undercover detective with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, who was posing as a 13-year-old girl online.
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After confirming the child’s age, Quaranta engaged in sexually explicit conversations and arranged to meet the “child” at a location in Marion County for sexual activity. Upon arrival, he was arrested.
Following his arrest, Quaranta admitted to authorities that he had been volunteering as a local youth baseball coach.
“The sentencing of this former Little League baseball coach serves as a reminder that predatory action against children will not be tolerated, and we will use every resource at our disposal to ensure that justice is served,” said Homeland Security Investigations Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “HSI, alongside our partners at the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, is unwavering in its commitment to protect our children from predators who seek to exploit them.”
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The case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg prosecuted the case.
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