Thirty-Two Years in Federal Prison Imposed for Child Exploitation Crimes

Gainesville, Florida - Brandon Stevens, 35, was sentenced to thirty-two years in federal prison for travelling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and production of child pornography. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: "Cases like this are a parent's worst nightmare, and they are a reminder of the ever-present threats kids face online from sexual predators like this defendant preying upon their innocence and seeking to sexually exploit them. I am incredibly proud of the outstanding investigative work performed by our state and federal law enforcement partners to catch this predator, and even prouder of the aggressive prosecution by my office to deliver justice for the child victim and send this sick individual to prison for decades to come."

Court documents reflect that the defendant lied about his true name and age while communicating online with a 15-year-old victim. After several months of conversation, the defendant travelled from Pennsylvania to Florida for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with the minor. Between February 2024 and April 2025, the defendant--despite being more than twice as old as the child victim--induced her to engage in sexual intercourse on multiple occasions. The defendant recorded some of the sexual encounters on his cell phone.

Following his release from prison, Stevens will be on supervised release for life and is required to register as a sex offender.

"This predator manipulated, deceived, and exploited a vulnerable child for his own gratification. His calculated actions, lying about his identity, traveling across state lines, and recording his abuse demonstrate a chilling disregard for human decency and the law," said Homeland Security Investigations Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingengo. "Thirty-two years in federal prison reflects the severity of his crimes and serves as a warning to anyone who targets children for sexual exploitation. HSI, alongside our law enforcement partners, will relentlessly pursue, prosecute, and remove these predators from society."

The case involved a joint investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and Dixie County Sherriff's Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.projectsafechildhood.govLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link..

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation's principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of FloridaLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. website. For more information about the United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.