Tampa Republic

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg has announced the arrest of Scott Alan Colson, 59, of Ocala, on an indictment charging him with attempted enticement of a minor. If convicted, Colson faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years to life in federal prison. A federal grand jury indicted Colson on August 6, 2024. His trial is scheduled for October 2024 before U.S. District Judge Thomas Patrick Barber.

According to court records, on July 24, 2024, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) undercover detective posed as a 15-year-old girl on an online messaging application. Colson contacted the undercover detective’s account and inquired whether the fictional minor had ever been with older men and asked to meet her. He told her, “You keep secrets if we meet up.” Colson then engaged in a sexually explicit conversation with the undercover detective. During the conversation, Colson asked the fictional minor to “make it easy to get down ur pantys.” The following day, they agreed to meet at a predetermined location in Marion County. When Colson drove to the location, he was arrested by law enforcement. An examination of Colson’s cellphone revealed child sexual exploitation materials.

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

This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Hannah Nowalk.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate and prosecute individuals who exploit children and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.