Orlando man pleads guilty to child abuse, faces possible life in prison

An Orlando man, identified as 36-year-old Theron Charles Lord, has admitted to enticing a minor into sexual activity and producing child abuse material. As reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, Lord’s guilty plea means he now faces a stiff prison sentence, with a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and the possibility of life in prison for producing child abuse material, and an additional minimum of 10 years for enticement, also up to life. As part of his plea, Lord will forfeit the cell phone he used to commit the crimes.

Details released in the plea agreement reveal that Lord began his contact with the 15-year-old victim online, with their connection forged and maintained via social media platforms. The exchange of messages, which began in March and continued through August 2022, quickly degenerated into a sexual one. Theron Charles Lord proceeded to brutally meet the minor in April 2022, marking the beginning of repeated sexual abuse spanning at least six encounters through November 2022, during which he recorded the misconduct. Lord also forced the child to make and send videos of the abuse.

According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the case was overseen by Homeland Security Investigations and the Rockledge Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson is leading the prosecution. Lord’s seriousness and the subsequent legal response underscore the seriousness of the offenses involving the exploitation of minors.