Former Charlotte County deputy gets 15 years in prison for exchanging explicit photos with minor

A former Charlotte County deputy has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity. According to the Department of Justice, on Tuesday, James Gregory Ford, 34, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, 30 years of supervised release, and was ordered to register as a sex offender. Ford pleaded guilty to charges in May. According to court documents, in October 2025, law enforcement officials began investigating Ford after a minor's parent reported seeing conversations with Ford, as well as nude photographs and videos on the minor's cellphone. On October 28, law enforcement interviewed Ford regarding the communications with the minor via a social media app. Ford admitted to exchanging inappropriate messages and images with the minor, and said he had initiated conversations with the minor, court documents say. Ford also admitted to asking the minor for explicit images. A forensic examination of Ford's phone revealed that a social media account belonging to Ford had been used to communicate with the minor, and explicit images were located. Ford previously worked for the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office before being arrested by deputies in October 2025. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.