15 years in federal prison for attempting to entice and meet a 5-year-old child for sex.

Florida Man Gets 10 Years After Using Facebook To Attempt To Sexually Entice 14-Year-Old Child

U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Michael Jonathan Paul, 50, Jacksonville, to 10 years in federal prison for attempted online enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Paul was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender. 

Paul had pleaded guilty on April 26, 2021.

According to the plea agreement, between May 28 and July 28, 2020, Paul used Facebook Messenger to engage in a series of online conversations with a person whom he believed to be a 14-year-old child.

Unbeknownst to Paul, this “child” was an undercover detective from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. During these online conversations, Paul discussed his desire to engage in sexual activity with the “child” when they met in person and told the “child” the different ways that he had planned to sexually abuse her. Paul also told the “child” to delete her online conversations.

On August 21, 2021, Paul was arrested, and during an interview with law enforcement, admitted “talking to some little girl on the phone,” and stated, “I shouldn’t have … did it.”

This case was investigated by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.

“Thanks to the outstanding work by HSI special agents and our partners with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office this online predator was stopped in his tracks while attempting to victimize a young child,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “After a successful prosecution and sentencing, this predator will now be held accountable for his crimes.”

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