Local Tennis Coach Charged with Enticement and Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material

MIAMI - Today, Daniel James Riggs, 31, had his initial appearance in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on a complaint charging him with enticement of a minor and production of child pornography.

According to the complaint, Daniel Riggs, of Fort Lauderdale, while a tennis coach for the minor victim, engaged in sexual conversations with the minor victim through a social media application. In addition, Riggs is alleged to have sexually abused the minor victim while they traveled internationally, and domestically for tennis training and tournaments. The abuse continued locally within the Southern District of Florida. In addition to physical abuse, Riggs requested child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from the minor victim through a social media application. To mask his identity, Riggs created multiple anonymous profiles and at times advised the minor victim to delete their communications.

Social media records revealed a possible additional victim. Anyone with information relating to additional victims of child sexual exploitation or abuse by Riggs is encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

A pretrial detention hearing is scheduled for Dec. 23 at 11:00 a.m.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office, and Sheriff Gregory Tony of the Broward Sheriff's Office (BSO) announced the charges.

FBI Miami and BSO investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Camille Smith is prosecuting it.

A complaint is a merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-mj-6603.

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