Florida teacher caught sending nude photos and trying to set up a meeting with nine years old girl faces serious consequences
Florida – A third-grade teacher from Florida has been charged with additional child exploitation offenses following the return of a superseding indictment. Federal authorities allege that Lee Hughes, age 45, sought to engage in exploitative acts involving a minor. Hughes, who has been in custody since his arrest in May, now faces several serious federal charges, including attempted transmission of harmful material to a minor, attempted enticement or coercion of a minor, and receipt and possession of child s***al abuse material.
According to court documents, Hughes communicated with someone he believed to be the parent of a nine-year-old girl. The parent was, in fact, an undercover law enforcement officer. During their interactions, Hughes allegedly sent around ten explicit photos and videos of himself, specifically requesting that these materials be shown to the child he intended to meet.
Authorities say that on May 1, 2025, Hughes traveled to a predetermined location where he anticipated meeting the young girl; instead, he was taken into custody immediately upon arrival.
After the arrest, law enforcement officials examined Hughes’s cellphone. Their investigation reportedly uncovered evidence that he had received and possessed disturbing child s***al abuse material. These findings led to the filing of additional charges under federal law.
If convicted on all counts, Hughes faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison, with the possibility of a life sentence. As with all criminal cases, it is important to note that an indictment is not a conviction, and Hughes is presumed innocent until convicted in a court of law.
The case is a result of efforts by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abigail K. King. Authorities reaffirmed their commitment to bringing offenders to justice, stressing the importance of continued vigilance in protecting children from exploitation.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in 2006. The program pools resources from federal, state, and local agencies to identify, arrest, and prosecute individuals involved in the exploitation of children, while also working to rescue and assist victims.
Those seeking more information about Project Safe Childhood and ongoing efforts to prevent child abuse can visit the initiative’s official website.
