Florida Man Arrested for Attempted Enticement of a Minor

OCALA, Fla. — A Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando investigation has led to federal charges for a Florida man in the Middle District of Florida for attempted enticement of a minor.

Scott Alan Colson, 59, of Ocala, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A federal grand jury indicted Colson on Aug. 6. His case is set for trial in October 2024.

According to court records, on July 24, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office undercover detective posed as a 15-year-old girl on an online messaging application. Colson contacted the undercover detective’s account and inquired as to whether the fictional minor ever had ever been with older men and asked to meet her. He told her, “You keep secrets if we meet up.” Colson then engaged in a sexually explicit conversation with the undercover detective. During the conversation, Colson asked the fictional minor to “make it easy to get down ur pantys.” The following day, they agreed to meet at a predetermined location in Marion County. When Colson drove to the location, he was arrested by law enforcement. An examination of Colson’s cellular telephone revealed child sexual exploitation materials.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case is being investigated by HSI Orlando and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Hannah Nowalk.