MIAMI – Michael E. Simpson Jr., 24, of Pompano Beach, Fla., has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith to 20 years in prison for enticing a 10-year-old child into criminal sexual activity.
In 2021, while sitting in a parked vehicle with his then fiancé’s 10-year-old daughter, Simpson began playing a sexually explicit video on his phone. He intentionally positioned it so the child could see it. While the video played, Simpson exposed himself to the child, touched himself, and solicited the child to have inappropriate contact with him.
The child reported the incident and law enforcement began an investigation into Simpson and discovered he possessed approximately 264 videos and 1,146 images of child sexual abuse material of prepubescent children to include infants and toddlers. In addition, law enforcement found evidence that Simpson attended events in which grown adults dressed up in infant attire and engaged in sexual activity.
On October 17, 2022, Simpson pled guilty to one count of enticing a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity. In addition to his prison sentence, he will have 15 years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe of the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent In Charge Michael E. Buckley of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement.
HSI Fort Lauderdale investigated the case with assistance from Broward Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ajay Alexander and Brooke Latta prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
You may find related court documents and information on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-60332.