A Maryland man was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for using the internet and his cell phone to meet a minor child in Florida, but instead, he met law enforcement.
The court also ordered William Daniel Leonard, 55, Maryland, to surrender the cell phone he used to commit the crime. Leonard was found guilty during a two-day trial on October 12, 2023.
According to evidence and testimony introduced during the trial and sentencing hearing, Leonard reached out to an undercover agent who was posing online as the father of a 13-year-old daughter.
Read: Video: Cops Shoot Armed Child Predator Suspect Multiple Times During Exploitation Investigation
Leonard 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.
Leonard 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.
Read: Florida Gov. DeSantis Goes After Child Predatory Groomers, Sexual Offenders
“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 securing of our children.”
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