A former youth pastor was charged with enticing a minor over the Internet, to engage in sexual activity.

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and William Snyder, Sheriff, Martin County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), made the announcement.

Jeffrey Brian Mobley, 24 of Ocala, formerly of Stuart, Florida was charged by criminal complaint with using a facility or means of interstate commerce to persuade, induce, or entice an individual under the age of 18 to engage in sexual activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2422(b). If convicted, Mobley faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years up to life in prison. If convicted, Mobley also faces up to a lifetime of supervised release and the requirement that he register as a sex offender.

Mobley had his initial appearance today and was ordered to be held in custody pending a detention hearing and preliminary examination on October 7, 2015 at 10:30 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Philip R. Lammens in Ocala.

According to allegations contained in the criminal complaint, in September 2015, a suspicious conduct report was made to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office concerning a youth pastor, Jeffrey Brian Mobley, and a minor who was under his trust and care through a religious based youth program in Stuart, Florida. During the course of the investigation law enforcement learned that the defendant, while the youth pastor, had allegedly engaged in sexual intercourse with two minors in the church’s youth program. The defendant allegedly enticed the minors to engage in sexual activity and exchange sexually explicit images.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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 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 the Project Safe Childhood initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and Martin County Sheriff’s Office for their work on this case. Mr. Ferrer also thanked the members of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida for their assistance with this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen Lineberger.

A criminal complaint is only an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.