Bryan Cardozo-Mendieta, age 21, of Morriston, Florida, entered a guilty plea in federal court to one count of attempted enticement of a minor and one count of possession of child pornography. The announcement was made by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
According to court documents, on November 17, 2025, Cardozo-Mendieta communicated with an individual he believed to be a minor. He then traveled from Levy County to Kissimmee, Florida, intending to engage in sexual activity with the minor.
Additionally, on or about November 8, 2025, the defendant inappropriately touched a different child. Upon his arrest, law enforcement found over 500 images of child sexual abuse material on his cell phone.
U.S. Attorney Heekin stated, “I am proud that my office was able to successfully prosecute this sick individual for these heinous crimes, and we remain committed to aggressively pursuing predators like him to ensure our kids are kept safe from sexual exploitation and victimization.”
Cardozo-Mendieta faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
The investigation was a joint effort between Homeland Security Investigations and the Levy County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner is handling the prosecution.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 26, 2027, at 10:30 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville, before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006. The program coordinates federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, while also focusing on victim identification and rescue.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices serving as principal litigators under the Attorney General’s direction. Public court documents can be accessed through the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. Additional information about the office is available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
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Bryan Cardozo-Mendieta Admits Guilt in Federal Child Exploitation Case in Florida Bryan Cardozo-Mendieta, 21, from Morriston, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of attempted enticement of a minor and possession of child pornography. The case, prosecuted by the Northern District of Fl... Read the full WLF article: https://worldlawyersforum.org/news/bryan-cardozo-mendieta-admits-guilt-in-federal-child-exploitation-case-in-florida