An online sting that started with a fake dating profile has ended in a decade-long federal prison sentence for 22-year-old Clayton Lee Harris of Ocklawaha. Harris was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Prosecutors say he arranged to meet what he believed was a 14-year-old he had contacted online, and was arrested when he showed up at the prearranged meeting spot. U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber handed down the sentence in Ocala federal court.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, Harris pleaded guilty on Nov. 13, 2025, and was sentenced on March 4, 2026, after prosecutors presented the online chats and details of the planned meetup to the court. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson and investigated by Homeland Security Investigations along with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. As noted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida, the prosecution came under the umbrella of Project Safe Childhood.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida also highlighted the outcome on X, posting a brief update that tracked closely with the federal press release and flagged the investigation as part of Project Safe Childhood. The social post reiterated the timeline of the July 2025 undercover operation and the November plea, according to USAO Middle Florida on X.
Marion County man sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for attempted enticement of a minor. #PSCMDFL @HSITampa https://t.co/wRKq85ogLk pic.twitter.com/aKb4Aa3jvb
— USAO Middle Florida (@USAO_MDFL) March 4, 2026
How the sting unfolded
Court records and an earlier plea announcement describe an undercover officer running an account on a dating website that Harris believed belonged to a 14-year-old. Investigators say Harris engaged in explicit online conversations with the purported minor, then arranged to meet at a local gas station on July 26, 2025. When he arrived at the location, law enforcement took him into custody. Those details were laid out in a prior release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida.
Legal note
Attempted enticement of a minor carries a particularly heavy federal penalty. Under 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b), anyone who uses any facility or means of interstate or foreign commerce to persuade or entice a person under 18 to engage in sexual activity shall be fined and imprisoned not less than 10 years or for life. The 10-year term imposed on Harris matches that mandatory minimum spelled out in the statute. For the full statutory language, see 18 U.S.C. § 2422.
Investigations and local context
Authorities say Harris’s case is one of several in the Middle District of Florida this year stemming from online sting operations aimed at stopping adults from trying to meet minors for sex. Homeland Security Investigations’ Orlando office and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office have worked together on similar efforts in recent months, a pattern reflected in public releases and news reports. For context on comparable prosecutions in the area, see Federal Newswire and a separate statement on an April 2025 sentencing from ICE HSI Orlando.
The Harris sentence closes out this particular federal prosecution, but the U.S. Attorney’s Office says it remains focused on pursuing adults who exploit online platforms to target children. Officials urge anyone with information about suspected child exploitation to contact local law enforcement or Homeland Security Investigations.
