Press Release
St. Cloud Man Pleads Guilty To Attempting To Entice A 14-Year-Old Child To Engage In Sexual Activity
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida
Jacksonville, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Daniel Michael Mohat (27, St. Cloud) has pleaded guilty to attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Mohat faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, in August 2022, law enforcement engaged in an online undercover multi-agency operation based out of Nassau County, for the purpose of identifying and apprehending individuals using the internet to exploit juveniles for sexual activity. During the operation, Mohat contacted one of the undercover agents, who was posing as a 14-year-old girl, via social media. Over the course of several days, Mohat engaged in a sexually oriented conversation with the undercover agent. On multiple occasions, Mohat requested that the “girl” create explicit videos and pictures of herself and send them to him.
This case was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David B. Mesrobian.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Updated July 3, 2024
Topic
Project Safe Childhood
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