Florida man looking at 10 years to life in prison after attempting to entice 11-year-old girl for sex

On February 20, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced that 50-year-old William Rand Paige, Jr. of Fernandina Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty to using the Internet to attempt to entice a 11-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. Paige faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

Paige was arrested on December 18, 2023, and has been detained since.  

Background:  On November 29, 2023, an undercover FBI agent in Jacksonville was conducting an online undercover operation to identify individuals who were seeking to meet and engage in sexual activity with children. Posing as a person with access to an 11-year-old child, the undercover agent was online in a particular social messaging app when he was contacted by an individual using the app user name “ah..904,” subsequently identified as Paige. After learning the age of the “child,” Paige asked the agent if he and the “child” would “like her to be touched all over.”

INDENT  In a series of online conversations on the app and emails from November 29 through December 11, 2023, Paige discussed his desire to meet the “child” and engage in sexual activity with her. On December 11, 2023, Paige contacted the undercover agent online and stated “What are your thoughts on meeting? You think [the “child”] would be receptive? Do you want to have it happen?” On December 4 and again on December 11, 2023, Paige sent the undercover agent several videos depicting young children being sexually abused.

On December 18, 2023, FBI agents executed a federal search warrant at Paige’s home and took him into custody. A review of the content on Paige’s cellphone revealed that it contained at least one photo depicting the sexual abuse of a child, as well as the email account used by Paige to communicate with the undercover agent.      

This case against Paige was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

(Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida)

Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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