Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging David Araujo (57, St. Petersburg) with attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. If convicted, Araujo faces a minimum sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. Araujo is currently detained pending the resolution of the criminal case.
According to the indictment, between July 26 and 27, 2024, Araujo attempted to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce an individual whom he believed had not yet attained 18 years of age to engage in sexual activity.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Chiefland Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.