Clayton Lee Harris, a 22-year-old resident of Ocklawaha, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber following Harris's guilty plea on November 13, 2025. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe.
According to court records, the incident began on July 26, 2025, when an undercover officer posing as a 14-year-old girl interacted with Harris through an online dating website. After learning the age of the individual he believed to be a minor, Harris asked to meet for a sexual encounter. He was taken into custody upon arriving at the designated meeting location.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe stated: "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." More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.
