FLORIDA — A Pensacola man has pleaded guilty to cyberstalking and sending obscene materials to minor females, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida has announced.
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Charles M. Schmaltz, 28, reportedly used more than 10 social media accounts between 2022 and 2024 to communicate with girls ranging in age from 9 to 15 years old.
According to court documents, the minor females and their parents repeatedly asked Schmaltz to stop contacting them. Instead, he is said to have sent graphic messages about engaging in sexual acts with the victims, along with images of himself.
“Protecting children from online exploitation and abuse is of paramount importance, and my office will aggressively pursue, prosecute, and seek punishment to the fullest extent of the law for those who prey upon our most innocent, vulnerable populations,” said United States Attorney John P. Heekin.
“My message to offenders is clear: if you prey upon our children, you had better pray we don’t find you.”
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Schmaltz was reportedly identified through a joint investigation in North Florida and South Alabama. Agencies involved in the case included the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Dale County Sheriff’s Office, and the Dothan Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg is prosecuting the case.
Schmaltz faces up to 30 years in federal prison and lifetime supervision upon release. Sentencing is scheduled for September 18, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell II at the federal courthouse in Pensacola.
