Florida man indicted for attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity

OCALA, Fla. — A grand jury returned with an indictment charging a Florida man with attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity following a joint investigation with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando.

David Araujo, 57, of St. Petersburg, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. Araujo is currently detained pending the resolution of the criminal case.

According to the indictment, between July 26-27, 2024, Araujo knowingly attempted to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce an individual whom he believed had not yet attained 18 years of age to engage in sexual activity.

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

This case was investigated by HSI Orlando, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Chiefland Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

HSI Tampa’s area of responsibility, which includes 10 geographically strategic offices, covers more than 51,600 square miles of the total 65,757 square miles in the state of Florida. This region has more than 14.2 million people and includes 58 of the 67 counties. HSI Tampa also includes five of the 10 largest cities in Florida, 15 primary commercial service airports, and 11 seaports.

Learn more about HSI Tampa’s mission to increase public safety in Florida communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @HSITampa.