A Monticello man has been indicted in federal court on a charge of attempted enticement of a minor, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.
If convicted, Vertis McNeil Robinson faces a minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life imprisonment.
Robinson, 47, appeared for his arraignment in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick on Aug. 21 in Tallahassee. For now, a jury trial is scheduled for Oct. 20 before Senior U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle.
Details of the case were not immediately available from publicly accessible court files. A redacted version of the indictment said Robinson, “using a facility and means of interstate commerce, did knowingly attempt to persuade, induce, and entice, an individual, who had not attained the age of 18 years, to engage in sexual activity….”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the Tallahassee Police Department. Tallahassee attorney John Leace is representing Robinson; Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Steer is prosecuting.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Arianna Otero is the trending and breaking news reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact her via email at AOtero@tallahassee.com and follow her on X: @ari_v_otero.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Feds: Monticello man indicted for attempted child enticement