A 41-year-old man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for attempting to entice a minor in Key West. U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles sentenced Clifford Frederic Lind, who used the online alias “it is what it is,” after Lind pleaded guilty in April to charges of attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor and attempting to entice a minor.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Lind communicated online between May 29 and June 4, 2024, with someone he believed was a 13-year-old girl. While in Key West, Lind sent sexually explicit images and videos of himself and requested images from the individual he thought was a minor. He also discussed meeting her in person for sexual activity, including making arrangements about transportation and lodging.
“U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of FBI Miami made the announcement.”
The investigation was conducted by FBI Miami’s Key West Resident Agency, with support from the Key West Police Department.
“Assistant United States Attorney Lindsey Maultasch prosecuted the case. Assistant United States Attorney Sara Klco is handling asset forfeiture.”
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 that coordinates federal, state, and local resources to address child sexual exploitation and abuse through internet crimes. The program seeks both to prosecute offenders and rescue victims (www.projectsafechildhood.gov).
The public is encouraged to report any information related to child sexual exploitation or abuse by calling the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Press releases and updates are available on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida (www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl). Additional case documents can be found at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-10008.
