GULF BREEZE MAN SENTENCED TO FOUR YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON AFTER TRAVELING TO MEET PERSON HE BELIEVED WAS A 15-YEAR-OLD CHILD

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A Gulf Breeze man has been sentenced to 48 months in federal prison after an undercover investigation established that he attempted to arrange a paid sexual encounter with someone he believed was a 15-year-old child.

U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker imposed the sentence on Brock A. Westrom, 36, following his conviction for attempted enticement of a minor.

After completing his prison term, Westrom must serve five years of supervised release and register as a sex offender.

The conviction resulted from an undercover operation conducted by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and its law enforcement partners during July 2024. The operation targeted individuals suspected of using the internet to solicit minors for sexual activity.

On July 19, 2024, Westrom began communicating online with an undercover participant he believed was 15 years old.

Evidence presented during the federal trial established that Westrom described sexual acts he wanted the purported child to perform, offered a specific amount of money for those acts and arranged a location where they would meet.

Westrom then traveled to the agreed location expecting to meet the person he believed was a child. Law enforcement officers arrested him when he arrived.

Investigators obtained a search warrant and seized electronic evidence confirming that Westrom had communicated with the purported child and traveled to complete the planned meeting.

There was no actual child waiting at the location. The attempted nature of the offense did not prevent federal prosecution because the trial evidence established what Westrom believed, communicated and did in furtherance of the planned encounter.

U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin for the Northern District of Florida described Westrom as a sexual predator who relentlessly pursued children online and said state and federal law enforcement partners remain committed to stopping offenders before they can harm children.

“My office will continue to back up the outstanding investigative work of our law enforcement partners with aggressive prosecutions to keep these sexual deviants behind bars and away from our communities,” Heekin added.

“If you think you can use the internet to target a child and walk away without consequences, you’re making the biggest mistake of your life,” said Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford. “We will find you, we will arrest you, and we will work with our state and federal partners to ensure you face every consequence the law allows.”

“Let this sentence serve as a warning: if you come to Bay County looking to exploit a child, you won’t find a victim, you’ll find deputies waiting to put you in handcuffs,” Ford added.

“This predator’s vile efforts to exploit and target a child for sexual purposes are reprehensible and will not be tolerated in our community,” said Nicholas Ingegno, acting special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations Tampa.

“HSI is unwavering in our commitment to protecting children and holding predators fully accountable for their actions. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure those who seek to harm minors face the full force of justice,” Ingegno said.

“Individuals who travel to exploit children will find no safe haven here,” said FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley. “The FBI and our partners will continue to aggressively investigate these crimes and stop children from being exploited. If you travel to our community to target minors know that we will find you.”

The Bay County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith L. Steer and Eric W. Welch prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Florida.

The prosecution was brought under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative established in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Project Safe Childhood is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. The initiative coordinates federal, state and local resources to identify and apprehend individuals who exploit children through the internet, prosecute offenders and locate victims.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices serving as the federal government’s principal litigators under the direction of the United States Attorney General.

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