Ocala Man Indicted For Attempted Enticement Of A Minor To Engage In Sexual Activity

Ocala, Florida - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Alexander Thomas Daugherty (24, Ocala) with attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. If convicted, Daugherty faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. Daugherty was arrested on a criminal complaint on September 20, 2024. He is currently detained pending the resolution of the criminal case.

According to court documents, on September 20, 2024, a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) posed undercover as a 13-year-old girl on an online social media platform. Daugherty contacted the undercover agent's account and, after learning the child's age, discussed engaging in sexual activity. Daugherty arranged to meet the minor for sex at a predetermined location in Marion County. Daugherty then traveled to the location and was arrested by law enforcement.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Marion County Sheriff's Office. It will be 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.