TAMPA, Fla. — Federal prosecutors report that a man from Pinellas Park received a 20-year federal prison sentence in a child exploitation case linked to an undercover FBI operation.
Lee Hughes, 46, admitted guilt earlier this year to charges including attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor, attempting to coerce and entice a minor, and receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, Hughes engaged in online communication for several months with an undercover officer pretending to be the parent of a 9-year-old girl. Prosecutors stated that Hughes sent explicit photos and videos of himself and talked about plans to sexually abuse the child.
Authorities said Hughes traveled to a predetermined meeting location on May 1, 2025, where he was arrested by FBI agents.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation as part of Project Safe Childhood, a national Department of Justice initiative aimed at fighting online child exploitation.
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