JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A former pre-kindergarten teacher was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for attempting to entice a 13-year-old child to engage in sexual activity, the Department of Justice announced Thursday.
Tony Leroy Bartley Jr., 38, of Jacksonville, pleaded guilty on January 27. As part of his sentence, he was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release and register as a sex offender.
The DOJ says Bartley was employed at a Ponte Vedra Beach school at the time of his arrest.
According to the DOJ, an FBI undercover agent operating on a social media application exchanged messages with Bartley between July 25 and July 29 of 2025.
After the agent indicated the “child” was 13, Bartley suggested sexual activity, sent graphic descriptions of acts he wished to perform, and sent an explicit photo of himself.
Agents arrested Bartley on August 5, 2025. He admitted knowing the girl was underage and discussing sex with her.
“I should have stopped at 13, and that’s on me,” Bartley told agents, according to the DOJ. He added, “I’m going away for a long time.“
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