Former Palm Beach County Middle School Principal Sentenced For Enticement Of A Minor To Engage In Unlawful Sexual Activity

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Alysa D. Erichs, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, announced that Scott A. Blake, 47, of Palm Beach Gardens, was sentenced today to 120 months imprisonment by Senior United States District Judge Kenneth L. Ryskamp on charges of enticing a minor to engage in an illegal sexual activity in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2422(b).

This case stemmed from an undercover investigation into several geographic location social networking websites. Blake, who at the time was the Principal of Polo Park Middle School, located in Wellington, Florida, contacted the undercover law enforcement officer via those websites. After a number of sexually suggestive conversations, Blake arranged to meet the officer, who he thought was a 15 year old boy, at a local mall for the purpose of engaging in illegal sexual activity. Blake arrived at the mall and was taken into custody. The HSI and other law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Blake’s residence and seized computers, documents and records that resulted in this federal prosecution.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of ICE-HSI and the members of the South Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lothrop Morris and Jennifer Millien.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.