Defendant Indicted For Attempting To Meet A Minor To Engage In Sexual Activity

Ocala, Florida - United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Ismael Osbaldo Pedro Tomas (23, Guatemala) with attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. If convicted, Pedro Tomas faces a minimum sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.

According to the indictment, between July 22 and August 11, 2025, Pedro Tomas attempted to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce an individual whom he believed had not yet attained the age of 18 years to engage in prostitution and sexual activity.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff's Office and Homeland Security Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.