Florida Man Busted for Sending Lewd Content to Undercover Agent
A Tampa, Florida man was arrested for sending lewd texts to who he thought was a minor.
Per the United States Attorney’s Office, Juan Miguel Angel was messaging who he believed was a 13- to 14-year-old girl.
In reality, from June 15 to August 20, the 33-year-old was speaking to an undercover Homeland Security agent.
Angel allegedly sent the “minor” explicit texts, and detailed the sexual acts he wanted to do with her. The 33-year-old also sent her multiple explicit videos.
Angel’s Charges
Angel faces five charges, including four counts of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor and one count of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity.
If he’s found guilty of attempted enticement, he faces 10 years to life behind bars.
If the suspect is convicted of transferring obscene material to a minor, he could be in prison for up to 10 years, per Florida Statues.
Project Safe Childhood
The sting operation was part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), which the Department of Justice (DOJ) started in 2006.
For 20 years, Attorneys’ Offices across America and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) have worked to combat child sexual exploitation. They do this through education, awareness, training, and prosecuting predators.
“Since the launch of Project Safe Childhood in 2006, the number of cases and defendants prosecuted by United States Attorney’s Offices has increased by 40%,” the DOJ shared.
As displayed, one of the ways officials catch predators is through sting operations.
Per the DOJ, in 2025, one operation led to the arrest of 293 offenders nationwide—10 of whom were in Florida.
Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Relentless Justice—205 Child Victims Located and 293 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in Nationwide Crackdown https://t.co/stHSomAlpq pic.twitter.com/9mbzUS3yGQ
— FBI (@FBI) December 19, 2025
But those numbers don’t capture the full scope of dangers children face, especially online.
Dangers Online
In 2025, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received 158% more online enticements than the prior year. Additionally, the NCMEC saw a 323% increase of child sex trafficking tips.
Out of 21,351,493 tips, 19,514,872 involved child pornography, while 1,413,347 involved enticing children online.
Millions more explicit videos and images were reported as part of the tips.
“In 2025, NCMEC saw a staggering increase in the number of reports the CyberTipline received related to the online enticement of children for sexual acts, which involves an individual communicating with someone believed to be a child via the internet with the intent to commit a sexual offense or abduction,” NCMEC’s report read.
This type of exploitation takes place on all types of online platforms, including gaming chatrooms, social media, and more.
