Anthony Wayne Lanier, Jr., a 33-year-old resident of Crawfordville, Florida, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of attempted enticement of a minor and attempted transmission of obscene material. The announcement was made by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Lanier appeared for arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick in Tallahassee. His jury trial is set for May 4, 2026, before District Judge Robert L. Hinkle.
If convicted on the attempted enticement charge, Lanier faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and could receive up to life imprisonment. The charge of attempted transmission of obscene material carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
The investigation involved U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Tallahassee Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorney Meredith L. Steer is prosecuting the case.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, “An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.”
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to address child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The program coordinates resources from federal, state, and local agencies to identify offenders who exploit children online and rescue victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one among 94 offices across the country serving as principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. Public court documents related to this case can be accessed through the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website (https://www.flnd.uscourts.gov/). Additional details about the office are available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
