Gainesville man pleads guilty, faces life for attempting to entice a minor online, planning to meet for sex

OCALA, Fla. — A Florida man has plead guilty to charges of attempting to entice a minor on an online messaging platform to meet for sexual activity following a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Gainesville investigation.

Alberto Christian Quiroz, 32, of Gainesville, faces a minimum sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, Quiroz was an employee of a care agency that was contracted with the Florida Department of Children and Families to provide services for children. On July 26 and 27, 2024, Quiroz used an online messaging service to communicate with an undercover detective portraying a 14-year-old girl. Quiroz arranged to meet the undercover detective at an Ocala restaurant for sexual activity. Agents arrested Quiroz when he arrived at that location.

This case was investigated by HSI Gainesville, the Ocala Police Department, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William S. Hamilton.

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.