Hayden O’Byrne United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida | The Florida Bar
Clifford Frederic Lind, age 40, has entered a guilty plea in a federal court to charges related to attempting to entice a minor and transferring obscene material to a minor. Lind, using the online alias “it is what it is,” engaged in explicit conversations with an individual he thought was a 13-year-old girl.
Lind confessed that between May 29 and June 4, 2024, he communicated with the individual via a social media application and text messages. During these interactions, Lind sent explicit images and videos, requesting similar content in exchange. He also detailed plans to meet with the supposed minor for sexual activities, including arrangements for transportation and accommodation. These actions took place while Lind was located in the Southern District of Florida and involved the use of a smartphone and internet, leading to the interstate transmission of illicit material.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 9 at 10:00 a.m., in Key West before United States District Court Judge Darrin P. Gayles. Lind could face a life sentence.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of FBI Miami. The case was investigated by FBI Miami, Key West Resident Agency, with Assistant United States Attorney Lindsey Maultasch prosecuting and Assistant United States Attorney Sara Klco handling asset forfeiture.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child exploitation and abuse. It involves U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) of the Criminal Division, aiming to prosecute offenders exploiting children online.
For more details on Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Anyone with information on child exploitation or abuse should contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. Further court documents and case information can be accessed at the District Court for the Southern District of Florida’s website under case number 24-cr-10008.
