A Wakulla County man was taken into custody after allegedly driving to Jacksonville, Florida, to meet with who he thought was a child, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Richard Lynn Simmons, Jr., 36, is charged with using his cellphone and the internet to attempt to entice an 11-year-old child to engage in sexual activity.
According to court records, an undercover FBI agent in Jacksonville, FL used an internet social media app to find adults who were attempting to contact and engage in sexual activities with children.
The undercover agent pretended to be the parent of an underage child and sent Simmons multiple private messages. The agent told Simmons that he “had access to an 11-year-old child.”
According to records, Simmons detailed the specific sexual acts he intended to perform on the child in a text message to the agent. He also made multiple phone calls and sent messages to express his vacation intentions and wanting to meet the youngster.
On January 6, FBI officers apprehended Simmons after he drove to Jacksonville.
If convicted, Simmons faces a minimum of ten years in jail and a possible lifetime of supervised release.
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