Tampa Republic

A Texas man, James Anthony Davila, has been indicted on charges of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and receipt of child sex abuse material. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg. If convicted, Davila could face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years to life in federal prison for the coercion and enticement charge, and a mandatory 5 to 20 years for receiving child sex abuse material.

Court documents reveal that Davila met a 12-year-old girl online through a video game platform. Their communication progressed to the exchange of sexually explicit photos. Subsequently, Davila traveled from Texas to Florida with the intent to engage in sexual acts with the minor.

It is important to note that an indictment is only a formal accusation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The investigation involved multiple law enforcement agencies including the Tampa Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with support from the Midway Police Department in Florida and the Johnson County Sheriff's Office in Texas. Assistant United States Attorney Ross Roberts will prosecute the case.

This indictment is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The project seeks to marshal resources at federal, state, and local levels to apprehend offenders and rescue victims. More information about this initiative can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.