HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – A Hillsborough County jury needed less than half an hour to decide the fate of 33-year-old Edward Timpson, of Colorado City, Arizona, convicting him on all counts following a targeted undercover sting.
Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the verdict this week, marking the end of a trial that centered on an operation designed to intercept predators before they can reach actual victims.
The case began on May 1, 2024, when detectives with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office placed a fake escort advertisement online. Investigators say Timpson responded to the posting and negotiated a deal to pay $300 to meet with two girls he believed were minors.
When he arrived at the designated meeting spot to carry out the agreement, deputies were waiting to take him into custody.
“This predator actively sought to exploit and sexually abuse children and took clear steps to carry out these crimes,” Uthmeier said in a statement following the conviction. He credited the work of Assistant Statewide Prosecutors Lauren Rice and Briana Zupko, along with local law enforcement, for securing the trial win.
The legal fallout for Timpson is extensive. He was found guilty of several high-level felonies, including solicitation to commit human trafficking of a minor and traveling to meet a minor.
The jury also convicted him of using computer devices to solicit illegal acts, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, and attempted lewd and lascivious conduct.
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Because the prosecution was handled by the Office of Statewide Prosecution in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, the reach of the charges carries significant weight. Timpson is now facing a maximum sentence of 35 years in the Florida Department of Corrections. He remains in custody while awaiting his formal sentencing hearing, which a judge has scheduled for June 11, 2026.
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