Florida courts impose life terms and guilty verdicts in three child sex cases

James Hurne received two life sentences on Tuesday in Dixie County for two counts of child molestation. The victims were both under the age of 12. An arrest report indicates the abuse occurred several years ago. A jury found Hurne guilty of the charges in August.

In a separate federal case, Bryan Cardozo-Mendieta pled guilty to one count of attempted enticement of a minor and one count of possession of child pornography. Deputies arrested him last year after he traveled to Central Florida. Authorities allege the trip was for the purpose of having sex with a child. Investigators found more than 500 child sex abuse images on his phone.

Cardozo-Mendieta faces a minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for late January. He will remain in custody until that date.

Joshua Bryan, 40, was found guilty of 29 charges related to child pornography possession on Tuesday. He will serve the rest of his life in prison. Investigators stated that Bryan held inappropriate online conversations with victims, some of whom were as young as 10 years old.

Bryan received a 25-year sentence in June for violating probation on similar charges. The new life sentence follows the recent guilty verdict on the 29 possession counts. All three cases are part of a series of child sex crime prosecutions in the region this year.