PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Glenn Varrin, 56, of Syracuse, New York, was sentenced to 120 months in prison today for attempted enticement of a minor after pleading guilty on August 15.  The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

In March 2018, an undercover investigator began chatting online to identify individuals interested in exploiting children.  Varrin sent a message to the investigator, who was posing as a 14-year-old female.  Over the next two months via e-mail and later by text message, Varrin discussed engaging in sexual intercourse with the investigator posing as the 14-year-old female.  In May 2018, Varrin traveled to Fort Walton Beach for the purposes of engaging in sexual intercourse with an individual he believed was a 14-year-old child.  Varrin arranged to meet the investigator posing as the 14-year-old female at a gas station, and he was arrested when he arrived there.

U.S. Attorney Canova said: “Protecting children from exploitation is a top priority of my office and the Department of Justice.  I commend the hard work of our prosecutors and law enforcement professionals who protect our communities and bring child predators to justice.”

“The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and HSI special agents, working together, were able to identify and arrest this predator who traveled to our local area from out of state in order to have sex with a female minor,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero.  “This case is an example of the strong law enforcement partnerships HSI has in the Panhandle area and together, once again, we have stopped another criminal from sexually abusing a child.”

The case was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.  For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.