A Central Florida man is set to spend three decades behind bars after being nabbed twice for sex crimes.
Frank Miles – a 32-year-old man from Melbourne – was awaiting trial on child pornography charges when he was busted for attempting to entice a minor into sex. Miles, who was out on bond, created a social media profile posing as a 17-year-old high school student. He was arrested after arranging to meet for sex with an undercover police officer who he though was a teenager.
“This predator thought he was going to meet a child for sex, but instead he was arrested by undercover law enforcement,” James C. Spero, a Homeland Security Investigations officer said in a press release following Miles’s conviction and sentencing. “This significant sentencing brings closure to the investigation by HSI special agents and our Brevard County Sheriff’s Office partners.”
Brevard County cops started looking into Miles after receiving a tip that someone was peddling child pornography, according to Newsweek. They subpoenaed a local internet service provider and traced the IP address in question to Miles’s home. The police officers found 13 child pornography photos on a computer and cell phone, as well as another 69 videos on a Dropbox account linked to the same IP address.
Miles was arrested again in May when he went to meet who he thought was a young girl at a local convenience store. He had been using his falsified online profile to court the girl and arrange for the would-be tryst.
Miles pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography and attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. He was convicted and sentenced to 30 years in prison, followed by 15 years of probation.
Criminal Penalties for Florida Sex CrimesAs Miles’s case makes clear, law enforcement officers, prosecutors and judges take sex crime allegations very seriously. That is why it is vital that a person accused of an offense have an experienced Florida sex crime attorney in his or her corner.
Sex crimes include a wide range of offenses involving sexual contact or which otherwise have some sort of sexual motive, whether it is solicitation of a minor, child pornography, sexual battery or statutory rape. A conviction can come with long stretches behind bars and steep fines.
That is not to mention the stigma that comes with having to register as a sex offender. This can make it difficult to find or keep a job and significantly limit social and other relationships.
Speak with a Florida Sex Crime Attorney TodayThe Florida sex crime attorneys at Whittel & Melton represent clients throughout the Sunshine State who have been charged with a wide variety of offenses. We fight these charges head on to give the people we represent the strongest possible defense.
Our firm has offices throughout the state, including in Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, and Pensacola. Contact us online or call 866-608-5529 for a free evaluation.