Edward Blake Langford, 42, of Winder, Georgia, has been indicted on charges of attempted enticement of a minor, according to an April 21 announcement by United States Attorney John P. Heekin for the Northern District of Florida.
Langford appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick in Tallahassee for his arraignment. His jury trial is scheduled for May 26 at the federal courthouse in Tallahassee before District Judge Mark Walker. If convicted, Langford faces a minimum sentence of ten years in prison.
The case is being investigated by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith L. Steer. Prosecutors said that “an indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt.” They added that “all defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.”
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse online. The project brings together federal, state, and local resources to locate offenders and rescue victims.
The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida advances community safety and quality of life by upholding the rule of law and protecting civil rights across northern Florida, according to the official website (https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl). The office operates from facilities located in U.S. courthouses in Tallahassee, Pensacola, and Gainesville as reported by its official website (https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl), covers 23 counties including Tallahassee and the Panhandle according to its official website (https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl), enforces federal laws while defending national security as noted on its official site (https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl), collaborates with other agencies through initiatives such as Project Safe Childhood as described on its official site (https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl), prosecutes criminal violations on behalf of the United States as stated on its official site (https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl), and is part of the Department of Justice according to its official website (https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl).
For more information about Project Safe Childhood or public court documents related to this case or others handled by this office, members of the public can visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov or https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
