A months-long undercover FBI sting that started online ended in a Tampa courtroom Thursday, where a former Pinellas Park teacher was handed a 20-year federal prison sentence for child-exploitation crimes.
The defendant, 46-year-old Lee Hughes, admitted in court that he spent months communicating with an undercover officer who was posing as the parent of a 9-year-old child. Prosecutors say Hughes believed he was arranging sexual contact and ultimately traveled to a prearranged meeting spot, where agents were waiting to arrest him.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, Hughes pleaded guilty in February to attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor, attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, and receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material.
Court records cited in that release say Hughes sent explicit photos and videos of himself and asked that they be shown to the child he believed he was targeting. On May 1, 2025, he arrived at the agreed meeting location carrying a purple teddy bear, according to prosecutors, and was taken into custody by federal agents.
A federal judge in Tampa imposed the 20-year sentence, as reported by WFTV. Prosecutors told the court that Hughes admitted his conduct and accepted responsibility as part of his plea agreement.
How the sting unfolded
Investigators say the case was part of a broader push to identify and prosecute online predators who target children. The Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, described by the Department of Justice, brings federal, state and local agencies together to run operations like this one.
According to prosecutors and court filings, undercover agents in these efforts often monitor online communications, pose as minors or as caregivers, and set up meetings to identify suspects who intend to exploit children. The sting involving Hughes followed that playbook, ending when he showed up to the meeting spot where agents were already in place.
Legal notes
Hughes pleaded guilty to federal charges that carry some of the toughest penalties on the books. The counts he admitted to include statutory maximum sentences that can reach life in prison, along with mandatory minimum prison terms on certain offenses.
The plea and sentencing documents outline the timeline agents and prosecutors presented to the judge, along with the specific elements of each crime that Hughes acknowledged in court. The case was prosecuted in the Middle District of Florida, and the FBI led the investigation.
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Tampa. Anyone with information about online child exploitation can contact the FBI Tampa field office for tips and resources.
