ILLEGAL ALIEN SENTENCED TO TEN YEARS IN PRISON FOR ATTEMPTING TO ENTICE A MINOR

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Mauricio Morales-Gonzalez, 24, of Mexico, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity after previously pleading guilty in federal court. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the outstanding investigative work of our state and federal law enforcement partners, this criminal alien was stopped as he attempted to sexually exploit and victimize a minor child. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute these disgusting sex offenders to ensure the most vulnerable members of our community are kept safe.”

Court documents reflect that between April 10, 2025, and April 12, 2025, detectives of the Tallahassee Police Department and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, along with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, participated in a joint undercover operation in Leon County focused on identifying individuals using the Internet to exploit children in a sexual manner. During the operation, investigators identified Morales-Gonzalez, an adult male who was soliciting minors for sex through an online website. Morales-Gonzalez, who is in the country illegally, believed he was going to be engaging in sexual activity with a minor when he drove to a meeting location where he was met by law enforcement and immediately arrested.

“This sentence sends a clear message that anyone who attempts to entice a minor into sexual activity will face serious consequences,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas G. Ingegno.  “This criminal alien sought to exploit a child, and thanks to the swift, coordinated work of law enforcement, that danger was stopped.  Protecting minors from predatory conduct remains one of our highest priorities, and this outcome reflects our unwavering commitment to safeguarding our children.”

Morales-Gonzalez’s imprisonment will be followed by a five-year term of supervised release, meaning if he violates any of the conditions of his supervision, he will potentially face an additional period of incarceration. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.

The case involved a joint investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.

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 and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it 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.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.