TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida man rode his bike for three hours to meet a “child” for sex, the Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida said.
Authorities said Dylan Thibodeau, 23, rode his bicycle for about three hours from Punta Gorda to North Port to meet a 14-year-old for sex. They said the “child” was actually an undercover officer.
According to a complaint and court proceedings, Thibodeau began texting with an individual he believed was a 14-year-old child in August.
Over the course of three and a half months, investigators said Thibodeau made plans to have sex with the teenager and get her pregnant before she turned 18 years old. Thibodeau allegedly also asked for nude photos of the teen and he sent sexually explicit photos of himself to the “child.”
On Saturday, law enforcement officers said they arrested Thibodeau when he arrived at a predetermined location to meet the teen for sex.
If convicted on all counts, authorities said Thibodeau faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.
