Florida Man Facing Traveling to Meet a Minor, Other Charges
Unless you’re a teacher or a parent, you should not be an adult man hanging around a school campus. It’s especially bad to be offering children drugs and vaping products. A South Florida man did this and he is now facing various criminal charges.
The man was arrested in late October after a week-long investigation. He faces multiple charges, including cocaine possession in front of a school, traveling to meet a minor, and lewd and lascivious conduct on a child under the age of 16. His bond has been set at $74,500.
The man met two middle school students at a market in Hialeah in early October. He asked the children if they smoked and said he could provide them with vapes. One child responded that she smoked vapes and they exchanged phone numbers. Later that day, the man sent the girl a video message displaying several types of cannabis products.
The child told the man she was only 11 years old and had no money to give him. The man then sent the girl a sexually suggestive picture. She asked if that meant he wanted oral sex and he responded “Yes.”
The girl and several other children then saw the man drive by a middle school and throw a bag out of his car window. The bag landed in Stafford Park. Inside the bag was a nicotine vape, marijuana edibles, and marijuana buds. The girl kept the vape and threw the other items away.
The man then tried to lure the girl to his vehicle but eventually left the vape on a slide at a park in Miami Gardens. Police confronted the man, who ditched his phone while fleeing on foot. He was later caught in front of a nearby home. He had a backpack with him containing cocaine, marijuana, and three disposable nicotine vapes. The victim identified the man and he was taken to Turner Guilford Knight (TGK) Correctional Center for booking.
Under Florida Statute Section 569.41, it is illegal for a person to sell, deliver, barter, or give any nicotine product to a person under the age of 21. For a first-time offense, a person can face a second-degree misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to a $500 fine and 60 days in jail. For a second or subsequent offense within one year, a person can face a first-degree misdemeanor, which is punishable by a $1,000 fine and one year in prison.
Contact a Legal Professional for Help
Law enforcement officials don’t mess around with people who solicit children for sex. You could face state or federal charges. Protect yourself and get a solid defense with help from a Florida child pornography lawyer from the Law Offices of Gilbert A. Schaffnit. To schedule a consultation, call (352) 505-1799 or fill out the online form.
