Ocala Man Sentenced To Federal Prison For Attempting To Meet A 13 Year Old To Engage In Sexual Activity

Ocala, Florida - United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Devin Joseph Rivera (24, Ocala) to 10 years in federal prison for attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. Rivera entered a guilty plea on September 20, 2024.

According to court documents, on July 24, 2024, Rivera communicated online with someone whom he believed was a 13-year-old girl. The child, however, was an undercover Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agent. Rivera engaged in a sexually explicit conversation with the undercover agent. Ultimately, Rivera was arrested when he rode his bicycle to a pre-determined meeting location in Marion County to engage in sexual activity with the "child." Rivera also brought a blanket and a condom with him to the location.

"Predators who seek to exploit innocent children, online or in person, will be held accountable for their heinous actions," said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. "HSI, alongside our law enforcement partners, is committed to using every tool at our disposal to identify, arrest, and prosecute those who prey on the innocence of children."

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Marion County Sheriff's Office, the Ocala Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Chiefland Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

This case was 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 United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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.