A 69-year-old Ocala man is facing a long list of felony charges after police say he solicited a mother to sexually abuse her own child, offering gift cards as payment, and requested child-abuse material from her. William Hoyle was arrested at his home, located next to Fort King Middle School, following a search warrant executed after an investigation into child exploitation.
According to WCJB, Hoyle was arrested after officers received a tip. Police say Hoyle requested child-abuse content and solicited a mother to harm a child, offering gift cards in exchange. As reported by 352today, the Ocala Police Department's Internet Crimes Against Children Unit received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and began investigating Hoyle before authorities executed the search warrant at his home on October 1.
That warrant, per the same account, culminated in Hoyle's arrest. His home sits next to Fort King Middle School, according to the outlet's reporting, though the evidence does not establish how close the residence is to the campus.
A Lengthy List of Charges
Hoyle faces charges including human trafficking, solicitation for unlawful sexual contact with a child and possession of bestiality material, WCJB reports. The outlet notes he was booked into the Marion County Jail, where no bond was set, and that officers say the investigation remains ongoing.
352today's reporting lists additional charges against Hoyle, including possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material, transmission of harmful material to a minor, solicitation of a parent for unlawful sexual contact with a child, aggravated use of a child in a sexual performance, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device. Ocala police described the full slate of allegations as crimes related to child sexual abuse material, human trafficking and bestiality.
Under Florida law, a child or minor is defined as any person younger than 18, according to Florida Statute 827.071. The statute defines child sexual abuse material as an image depicting a minor engaged in sexual conduct, or an image altered to portray an identifiable minor in sexual conduct. Florida law also addresses use of a child in a sexual performance and possession of child pornography.
Police Urge Vigilance Amid Rising Reports
352today reports that the Ocala Police Department reminded parents and others to stay vigilant and advised people to watch for signs of suspicious or illicit online activity. The case arrives as national data shows a sharp rise in reports of this kind of exploitation.
The CyberTipline received 1.4 million reports concerning online enticement in 2025, including more than 800 involving an offender traveling to meet a child in person, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The organization identified and escalated more than 53,000 reports as urgent or involving a child in imminent danger last year. Reports of online enticement rose 158% and reports of child sex trafficking rose 323% from 2024 to 2025, the organization says, while financial sextortion reports averaged 137 per day in 2025, a 37% increase from the year before.
The Hoyle case follows a broader statewide crackdown earlier this year. The Florida Attorney General's office announced the arrest of 58 child predators in a five-day sting operation led by the Marion County Sheriff's Office and partner agencies, according to a release from the Florida Attorney General's office. That undercover operation targeted people sexually exploiting children through online chatrooms, arresting suspects after they arrived at arranged meeting locations, and officials said at the time that the investigation was ongoing with further arrests anticipated in the weeks that followed.
Officers say the investigation into Hoyle is continuing, and no additional details about further arrests or charges in this case have been released.
