Manatee County Man Charged For Attempting To Entice Minors

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that William Daniel Thompson (67) was arrested on September 11, 2014, for attempting to persuade, induce, and entice a minor to engage in illicit sexual conduct.  Thompson faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. Thompson made his initial appearance in federal court on September 12, 2014. He is being detained pending trial.

According to the criminal complaint, on September 10, 2014, an FBI special agent noticed an advertisement in the “all personals” section of Craigslist, which made reference to a single white male seeking a “family dynamic.” Between September 10, 2014, and September 11, 2014, Thompson engaged in e-mail communications with the undercover agent, who was posing as the father of a 10-year-old girl and 13-year-old boy.  During the online communications, Thompson told the undercover agent that he wanted to engage the minors in sexual conduct. 

On September 11, 2014, Thompson traveled to Altamonte Springs where he had arranged to meet the father of the minors for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct, at which time he was arrested.  During an interview with law enforcement, Thompson admitted that he had traveled to the location for the purpose of meeting the father of the two children with whom he had been e-mailing.  Thompson stated that his purpose in going to Altamonte Springs was to explore the possibility of having sex with a 10-year-old girl. The investigation revealed that Thompson has been involved in the bondage, dominance, sadomasochistic lifestyle for about ten years. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilianys Rivera Miranda.

A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was 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 (CEOS), 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.