OCALA, FL (352today.com) – On Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) Major Crimes Detective Zachary Elliott arrested 42-year-old Leon Smith (W/M, DOB: 10/04/1983) for Traveling to Meet a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity, Using a Computer to Solicit a Child, Possession of Methamphetamine, and Possession of Marijuana.
On Feb. 26, 2026, Smith began chatting with an undercover law enforcement officer, who was posing as a 13-year-old girl on an adult dating application. Eventually, the communication between Smith and the presumed child transitioned to text messaging and phone calls, during which he acknowledged the child’s age and engaged in sexually explicit conversations. Smith repeatedly commented on how mature the child was for her age and made arrangements to meet the 13-year-old in person.
After deciding on a meeting location, Smith told the presumed 13-year-old how excited he was, advised her to watch pornography, and expressed that the sound of her voice, age, and photo of her holding a stuffed animal aroused him. MCSO Intelligence Unit detectives met Smith at the designated meeting location and conducted a felony stop. Smith was detained for questioning, and a search revealed that he was in possession of 204.5 grams of marijuana and .5 grams of methamphetamine. During an interview, Smith initially claimed that he could not remember the child’s age but later admitted that he should have known her age.
Smith was placed under arrest and transported to the Marion County Jail, where he remains without bond.