Man Caught Traveling To Meet A Minor In Police Sting Receives Short Sentence

We recently represented a client involved in a Sarasota, Florida undercover police sting. Our client, a 30-year-old man, was charged with traveling to meet a minor for sexual purposes after allegedly soliciting the minor through an online Craigslist ad. The man had his own business and was uneasy about a potential prison sentence and the fate of his business.

Attorney, EriKa Valcarcel reviewed the pending case against her client. The state’s attorney wanted our client to be sentenced to six years in prison based on the magnitude of this charge but came down to four years after intense rounds of negotiations. During an open plea, attorney Valcarcel brought in community members to testify on his behalf as well as an expert to determine his lack of risk for reoffending upon reentering society. As a result of a successful sentencing hearing, our client received an 11 month and 29-day county jail sentence, an astounding result.

The outcome of an individual case depends on a variety of factors unique to that case. Case results do not guarantee or predict a similar result in any similar or future case.