Justin Vancott-Harnish, a 29-year-old resident of St. Cloud, has been indicted on charges of trafficking a minor, according to an announcement made by U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe on Mar. 18.
The indictment alleges that between February 28 and March 28, 2025, while working as a subcontract employee for the U.S. Antarctic Program at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Vancott-Harnish solicited a minor to engage in a commercial sex act. The alleged incident took place within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States.
If convicted, Vancott-Harnish faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and could receive up to life imprisonment. Authorities emphasized that an indictment is only a formal charge and that every defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. National Science Foundation – Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, and the St. Cloud Police Department. The case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson for the Middle District of Florida and Department of Justice Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower from the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to address child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. Project Safe Childhood brings together federal, state, and local resources to find and prosecute individuals who exploit children and to identify victims. More information about this initiative can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.
