Lee Hughes, 46, of Pinellas Park, has pleaded guilty 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 sex abuse material. Hughes faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. His sentencing date has not yet been set. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to a Federal Grand Jury Indictment, Hughes was charged with one count of attempted transmission of harmful material to a minor. The charges stem from communications beginning around June 2024, when Hughes engaged with an undercover FBI account posing as an adult with a nine-year-old daughter. In these exchanges, Hughes expressed interest in a “sexually open household,” describing it as his “dream life” and offering to babysit the purported child. On June 25, 2024, after receiving a fully clothed photo of the undercover’s supposed daughter, Hughes sent an image of a male sexual organ, repeating the action nearly ten times while requesting the images be shown to the child.
Over the next ten months, Hughes continued explicit conversations with the undercover agent, detailing his intent to abuse the minor sexually. He arranged to meet at the rear of the Lowe’s Home Improvement store at 7301 Park Boulevard on May 1, 2025, allegedly to engage in sexual activity with the nine-year-old. Dashcam footage captured Hughes arriving at approximately 5:45 p.m., carrying a teddy bear and approaching a Mini RV. Law enforcement officers from the US Marshals Service detained him at gunpoint, ordering him to drop the teddy bear. Hughes was arrested and transported to Pinellas County Jail, where he admitted to his conduct in a post-Miranda interview.
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