Deltona Man Sentenced to Life for Coercing and Enticing an Autistic Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity

Orlando, Florida – James Bernard Grover (63, Deltona) was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Carlos Mendoza to life in federal prison for coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. A federal jury found Grover guilty on February 27, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Grover was the founder and executive director of the Special Needs Advocacy Program, a nonprofit organization for the special needs community based in Sanford. Through his work, Grover met an autistic minor, provided the minor with counseling and therapy, and coerced and enticed the minor to engage in sexual activity.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sanford Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane S. Hu.

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.