Lake County Man Sentenced To Life In Prison For Coercing, Engaging In Sexual Activity With A Child And Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Images Over The Internet

Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton has sentenced Eric Lance Reynolds (42, Mount Dora) to life in federal prison for coercing and enticing a child to engage in sexual activity and for distributing child sexual abuse material. Reynolds was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release, register as a sex offender, pay $24,797 in restitution to the victim of the offense, and forfeit the Apple iPhone that he used to commit these child sex offenses. Reynolds had pleaded guilty on March 22, 2022.

According to court documents and evidence presented during the sentencing hearing, over the course of several years, Reynolds repeatedly sexually abused a prepubescent child to whom Reynolds had access. Specifically, on November 29, 2019, Reynolds used the internet to communicate with a registered sex offender, Jonathan Boudreau. During these online communications, Reynolds offered to allow Boudreau to participate in the sexual abuse of this child, in exchange for money to purchase a video game for the child. On that date, and on at least six other occasions from approximately 2017 to 2020, Boudreau and Reynolds sexually abused the child together, and forced the child to wear a blindfold during the encounters. On one occasion, Reynolds allowed a third individual to participate in the sexual abuse of the child. In total, Reynolds sexually abused this child victim between 15 and 50 times.

A search of Reynolds’ iPhone revealed that Reynolds was also engaged in the distribution and trading of child sexual abuse material with other individuals online. The FBI conducted a forensic review of his devices and discovered six videos and 47 images depicting the sexual abuse of infants and prepubescent children.

On December 21, 2021, Boudreau was sentenced to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for distributing and receiving child sexual abuse material as a registered sex offender.

“No amount of prison time can erase the horrors this man inflicted on an innocent child. But the community can be assured, he will never victimize another child again thanks to the exemplary work of our special agents and task force officers who work tirelessly investigating crimes against children,” said FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge David Walker.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Harrington.

This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.