Gainesville Man Sentenced To A Decade In Federal Prison For Attempted Enticement Of A Minor To Engage In Sexual Activity

Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Alberto Christian Quiroz (33, Gainesville) to 10 years in federal prison for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Following the prison term, Quiroz will spend the rest of his life on court supervision. The court also ordered Quiroz to forfeit the cellular phone which he used to commit the offense. Quiroz entered a guilty plea on January 28, 2025.

According to court documents, Quiroz was an employee of a care agency that was contracted with the Florida Department of Children and Families to provide services for children. On July 26-27, 2024, Quiroz used an online messaging service to communicate with an undercover detective portraying a 14-year-old girl. Quiroz arranged to meet the undercover detective at an Ocala restaurant for sexual activity. Agents arrested Quiroz upon his arrival at that location.

“This predator’s attempt to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity was a gross violation of the position of trust he held,” said Homeland Security Investigation Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “HSI and our law enforcement partners are committed to holding all offenders accountable, no matter what title they hold. Protecting our children is our highest priority and we will do everything in our power to ensure those who prey on them face swift and decisive justice.”   

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Ocala Police Department, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.

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.