Tampa, Florida - U.S. District Judge Charlene E. Honeywell yesterday sentenced Bryan Shane Sneed (42, Lutz) to 20 years in prison for the attempted enticement of a minor for sex, and for possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The Court also ordered him to serve a 20-year term of supervision and to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. Sneed was found guilty by a federal jury on August 7, 2015.
A superseding indictment was returned against Sneed on March 18, 2015.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on Jan. 24, 2014, an undercover agent posing as a 14-year-old child responded to an online personal ad posted by Sneed. Sneed, who traveled frequently, communicated with the undercover agent through emails and text messaging for almost a year. During the communications, Sneed repeatedly sent the “child" multiple graphic images of adult pornography and a video of adult pornography. Sneed made firm plans to meet the “child" in Tampa on Jan. 21, 2015, and when he arrived at the agreed upon location, he was arrested. A search of Sneed’s vehicle by law enforcement revealed a loaded 9 millimeter and.45 caliber handgun and several condoms.
“This criminal intended to have sex with a 14-year-old child," said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. “Our HSI undercover special agents made sure that instead of forever harming a child, he is going to spend the next 20 years behind bars."
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda C. Kaiser.
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.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
