A 38-year-old Arizona man will spend the next four decades in federal prison following a multi-year campaign of online exploitation and physical abuse targeting a young girl. Joshua Black was sentenced Thursday in Fort Pierce, Florida, to 480 months behind bars, a term that will be followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon, comes after Black pleaded guilty to the production and transportation of child sexual abuse material. According to court records, the abuse began in 2023 and continued through 2025, during which time the victim was between 13 and 15 years old.
Investigators revealed that Black used video calls to manipulate the teenager into performing sexually explicit acts, which he then recorded via screenshots.
The case escalated when Black traveled from Arizona to Indian River County, Florida, bringing the illicit images with him. Once in the state, he met the victim at a Vero Beach hotel to engage in sexual activity.
READ: Online Sting Ends In Decade-Long Prison Sentence For Tennessee Man
“This defendant used the internet to target a 13-year-old child, manipulate her into sexual exploitation, and preserve those images for his own gratification,” stated U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “He then crossed state lines to continue that abuse in person. Production of child sexual abuse material is among the most serious crimes we prosecute because it permanently records a child’s victimization. Forty years in federal prison ensures accountability and protects other children from future harm.”
The investigation was a collaborative effort led by the FBI Miami’s Fort Pierce Resident Agency, with assistance from the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Kahn Obenauf and Justin Hoover handled the prosecution.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
