A man from Sopchoppy, Florida, has been arrested and charged with attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. The U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, Gregory W. Kehoe, announced that Richard Lynn Simmons, Jr., 36, faces charges after an undercover operation led by the FBI.
According to court documents, between November 8, 2025, and January 6, 2026, an FBI agent based in Jacksonville conducted an undercover investigation using a social media application. The agent posed as the parent of an underage child and communicated with someone using the handle “snowwis89.” During their exchanges on the app and through text messages, “snowwis89” expressed interest in sexual activity with young children. When asked if “is 11 too young for u,” he responded: “Na it’s not … would she be ok with it?” He later described specific sexual acts he wanted to perform on the supposed child.
After several messages and phone calls about travel plans and meeting arrangements, Simmons drove from the Tallahassee area to Jacksonville on January 6, where he was arrested by FBI agents.
"A criminal complaint is an allegation that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty."
If convicted, Simmons faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in federal prison and could serve up to life imprisonment. He may also face a lifetime term of supervised release. Following his initial appearance in federal court on January 9, Simmons was detained pending further proceedings.
The case is being investigated by both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown is prosecuting.
"It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue and seek justice for child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc."
