By Ciara Perez, Investigative Journalist | iSkyCreations – News & Media (ISC)
Published Jan 23rd, 2024
TAMPA, FLORIDA – Joshua Friedbauer, a 61-year-old man from Tampa, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for enticing a minor and receiving child sexual abuse material. U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington handed down the sentence. Friedbauer had previously pleaded guilty to the charges on July 5, 2023.
According to court documents, in June 2021, Friedbauer traveled to the Philippines and met a 13-year-old child victim, who lived with her impoverished mother. Friedbauer, who was in a romantic relationship with the victim’s mother, coerced and persuaded the child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing photos. He provided the child with money and gifts in return. When the victim resisted or did not fully cooperate, Friedbauer continued to pressure and guilt her for more images.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kristopher Pagitt stated, “This predator traveled internationally and exploited the impoverished financial status of a mother and her child to create sexually explicit imagery for his perverse conduct. The vile actions of child predators make lifetime victims of their prey and cause irreparable harm.”