[ACSOL note: this is to show extreme sentencing in Florida]
Ocala, Florida – Trevor _____ (57, Ocala) has been sentenced by United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber to life in federal prison for attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and committing a felony offense involving a minor as a registered sex offender. A federal jury found Hedge guilty on March 3, 2026. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in May 2025, the Ocala Police Department hosted an undercover operation aimed at apprehending individuals using the internet to exploit children. During the operation, a detective from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (UC) posed online as a neglected 13-year-old child. Hedge messaged the UC and, after learning the UC’s age, engaged in a sexually explicit conversation. During this conversation, Trevor described his “addiction” to sexual activity with minors and told the UC that he was “grooming” her. On May 22, 2025, Trevor arranged to meet the UC to engage in sexual activity. The Ocala Police Department arrested Trevor when he arrived to pick up the UC at …
Even if half of what was said in this release is true (half is probably overestimating, and what is left is likely exaggerated), some serious smackdown would be warranted if there were any actual victim. Most states would hover around 20 years for a second offense, which in this guy’s case is pretty close to life anyway given his age.
But being a sting, in my mind this guy is only guilty of criminal stupidity. If he was computer-savvy enough to find the agent in a chat (likely on an adult site), then you would think him savvy enough to find ACSOL, FAC, et al. and know how prevalent these stupid stings are and have an idea how they work.
Maybe he’d have assaulted someone else at some time or another, maybe not. If so, fry him then. But I can never take a baited (and certainly edited) chat as proof of future crime.
The moral of the story? Don’t repeat a sex crime in Floriduh if you’re already on the registry. Their LE officials are out for blood to satisfy the public who already believe anyone on the registry should either be locked up for life, or executed
This may be the first time in American history that someone received life imprisonment for a crime in which there is no victim–at the very least, at the Federal level. (It’s possible under some “three strikes” frameworks that someone got life for a third felony for something like selling narcotics to an officer.) As far as I can tell, this is this guy’s first offense since the early 90s (which may be his only other offense). He may be experiencing some early onset dementia. Regardless, Federal taxpayers will now be paying for every meal and medical need this guy has for the rest of his life (> $1 million if he lives 20 more years). But at least Florida’s hypothetical population of teen girls who are desperately seeking casual sexual encounters with random 60-year-olds they met on the Internet have one fewer option.
32 years between offenses…doesn’t help the cause long-term.
I’m glad they got him off the streets guy’s like this make it hard for everybody
Guys like him make things much harder for those of us who are trying to live our lives without having more restrictions put on us.
And the Registry made a difference in any way?? Did the registry help prevent the crime? Did the registry help catch the guy?
No. Maybe if Gov used the registry money for counseling/ therapy/ understanding the harm sex crimes causes , I would bet this guy would have been successful in society instead of a tax payer burden until he dies in prison