Orlando Men Sentenced for Attempting to Coerce and Entice a Minor to Engage in Sexually Explicit Conduct

Orlando, Florida - Richard Kowalczyk (46, Windermere) and Eric Patrick (31, Windermere) have been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Carlos Mendoza for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Kowalczyk was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison and Patrick was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. Patrick pleaded guilty in February 2026 and Kowalczyk pleaded guilty in April 2026. Both are also required to register as sex offenders. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.

According to court documents, Kowalczyk and Patrick, who are married, engaged in a sexually graphic conversation online that discussed their interests in minors. In July 2020, Kowalczyk and Patrick attempted to coerce and entice a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct and share sexually explicit images with them. Kowalczyk also possessed child sexual abuse images and videos, including minors under the age of 12, on his cellphone.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel.

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 https://www.justice.gov/psc