Port Charlotte Man Pleads Guilty to Enticing a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity

Fort Myers, Florida - James Gregory Ford (34, Port Charlotte) has pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. He faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.

According to the plea agreement, in October 2025, Ford was communicating with a minor using a social media application. He asked the minor to send him nude pictures and videos of herself. Further, Ford sent a nude picture of himself to the minor.

Law enforcement began an investigation into Ford after the child's parent reported observing the conversations with Ford and seeing the nude photographs and videos on the minor's cellphone that had been sent on a social media platform.

On October 28, 2025, law enforcement interviewed Ford concerning his communications with the minor. Ford admitted to engaging in conversations and exchanging inappropriate messages and images with the minor. He also admitted that he had initiated communications with the minor. He further acknowledged receiving and sending explicit photographs.

Subsequent to a search warrant for Ford's cellphone, the forensic examination revealed the social media account belonging to Ford that had been used to communicate with the minor. Images and videos of the minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct were also located on Ford's cellphone.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, with the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.

This 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 child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.