A 53-year-old equine veterinarian from Morriston is facing a potential life sentence after a federal grand jury returned a multi-state indictment involving the sexual exploitation of minors.
Gregory Ford was arrested on charges including three counts of transporting a minor with the intent to engage in sexual activity and one count of sending threatening communications, United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced Monday.
The federal indictment alleges that between October 2024 and May 2025, Ford transported two minor victims across state lines for sexual purposes.
Prosecutors also claim that on September 23, 2025, Ford sent a text message containing a “true threat” to injure a third victim. If convicted, Ford faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison for each transportation count, plus five years for the threat.
The government has also filed notice that it intends to seize Ford’s Morriston home, alleging the property was used to facilitate the crimes.
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This federal case follows a string of local charges across Florida, Alabama, and Kentucky. The investigation gained momentum after a mother discovered explicit messages on her daughter’s phone, leading to reports in Marion County, Florida, and Lauderdale County, Alabama.
According to a letter written by a 15-year-old victim, Ford used his position as a mentor in the equestrian community to manipulate and coerce her.
West Palm Beach attorney Spencer Kuvin, who represents five young women connected to the case, described Ford as a man who embedded himself deeply into the lives of his targets.
“Dr. Ford integrated himself in one of the victim’s family, so closely that he was staying in their guest house from time to time,” Kuvin told CBS12 News. “He was friendly with not only the parents, but also the grandparents. He would go to church with them. He would pray with them. All the while, he is abusing their daughter.”
Currently, Ford faces sexual battery charges in Florida, threatening communications charges in Alabama, and first-degree rape and sodomy charges in Kentucky. Authorities believe there may be additional victims within the local horse-racing and equestrian circuits.
The FBI’s Birmingham and Jacksonville divisions are leading the ongoing investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson is prosecuting the case, while Assistant United States Attorney Nicole M. Andrejko is handling the asset forfeiture.
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