A Jacksonville man has been arrested and charged with attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity, according to an announcement from United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. Tony Leroy Bartley, Jr., 37, was taken into custody by FBI agents on August 5, 2025, in Ponte Vedra Beach. He is currently being held pending a detention hearing scheduled for August 11, 2025.
Bartley faces charges of using his cellphone and the internet in an attempt to solicit a 13-year-old child for sexual activity. If convicted, he could receive a minimum sentence of ten years and up to life in federal prison, as well as a possible lifetime term of supervised release.
According to court documents, the investigation began when an undercover FBI agent in Jacksonville used an online social media application as part of an operation targeting adults seeking contact with minors for sexual purposes. Between June 17 and July 30, 2025, the agent communicated with a user identified as “keven,” later determined to be Bartley. After the agent informed “keven” that “she” was only 13 years old, Bartley allegedly suggested engaging in sexual acts and sent explicit messages and images.
“A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown is prosecuting.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative started by the Department of Justice in 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program brings together federal, state, and local agencies to identify offenders and support victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.
