David A. Girard, a 70-year-old resident of Robertsdale, Alabama, has been indicted on federal charges related to the attempted enticement of a minor and traveling across state lines for illicit sexual conduct in Pensacola, Florida. The announcement was made by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Girard’s indictment includes enhanced penalties due to his status as a registered sex offender stemming from previous convictions in 2009. If found guilty, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years and could be sentenced to life in prison.
The trial is scheduled to take place before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola on March 2, 2026.
The investigation is being conducted by multiple agencies: the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, US Customs and Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Florida Highway Patrol, and the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Christopher C. Patterson are prosecuting the case.
According to the press release: “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 started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at addressing child sexual exploitation and abuse through collaboration among federal, state, and local agencies. 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 of 94 offices serving as principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. Public court documents are available online via the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website, and further details about this office can be accessed at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
