To Catch a Predator · Flagler Beach investigation
Lance Fine
Lance Fine pleaded guilty following the Flagler Beach sting. He received five years of probation and lifetime registration.
Photo: To Catch a Predator Wiki
- Outcome
- Sentenced
- Evidence
- Attributed reporting
- Jurisdiction
- Flagler Beach, Florida
- Encounter
- Not established
- Decoy posed as
- Boy4
- Case number
- Not established
Personal details
- Born
- July 25, 1975
- Occupation
- Waiter
- Marital status
- Single
- Height
- 6′0″
- Weight
- 230 lb
- Hair
- Brown
- Eyes
- Blue
Charges & sentence
Attempted lewd or lascivious battery on a child aged twelve to fifteen (reported plea offense)
Computer-aided solicitation of a minor
Transmission of harmful material to a minor
Attempted contributing to delinquency of a minor
Attempted cannabis distribution to a child
Possession of cannabis under twenty grams
Possession of Schedule IV controlled substances × 2
Possession of drug paraphernalia
Sentence
Five years of probation and lifetime sex offender registration.
Attributed to the sources below. Consult the original record for full terms.
Case records
Hansen investigationSentenced
Attempted lewd or lascivious battery on a child aged twelve to fifteen (reported plea offense)
Computer-aided solicitation of a minor
Transmission of harmful material to a minor
Attempted contributing to delinquency of a minor
Attempted cannabis distribution to a child
Possession of cannabis under twenty grams
Possession of Schedule IV controlled substances × 2
Possession of drug paraphernalia
Sentence
Five years of probation and lifetime sex offender registration.6
Reviewed sting-related legal outcome. Read saved6-page arrest/charging and first-appearance packet; sentence fields blank, so outcome remains reported. Later Halloween-related prosecution is separate. Original affidavit names attempted lewd conduct under 800.04(6)(a)2; final battery label is explicitly community reported and not counted as a second contact count. Two separate Schedule IV entries appear in the affidavit and first appearance. First-appearance bond amounts are not fines or sentences. The precise filed counts beyond initial allegations are not established.
Separate criminal matterUnverified
Community narrative reports an October 31, 2015 Tennessee Halloween-restriction arrest while working in costume. It only says acquittal is believed; no final verdict or exact charge statute established. No current conviction or sentence inferred.
Sources 7
Case narrative
Sting
With Crown Royal, marijuana, and condoms in tow, Fine would travel to Flagler Beach. Fine is met by a 19-year-old decoy who was posing as the underage teen when he arrived at the beach, which was across from the sting home. When he met the decoy on the beach, the decoy mistakenly addressed Fine by his real name, causing him to be spooked and head back to his car. Chris Hansen showed up as a result and confronted him. Chris enquired as to what was going on, and Fine replied that he was "just out riding around." Fine objected as Chris began to read from his conversation log, claiming that he had no idea what he was talking about. After Chris enquired as to the boy's age and why he came to visit, Fine continued to claim ignorance of what was happening. Fine made an attempt to argue that someone else must have been using his computer to impersonate him.
Chris afterwards identified himself and stated that they were working on a story about child sex predators. Fine laughed further and reiterated that he hadn't spoken to the boy online. Suddenly, Fine's phone started to ring. He took it and promised Chris that he would later check to see who it was, believing it was his mother. Afterwards, Chris said that his team had contacted Fine's phone; they had his number because Fine had provided it to the decoy. Fine then spotted a police officer, causing him to ask why they were there. The Flagler Beach police make themselves even more known and arrested Fine.
Aftermath
Fine admitted that he moved into an apartment with his best friend of thirteen years because she needed a roommate when he was brought before the police for questioning. Fine refused to waive his rights when asked whether he wanted to and asked for access to a lawyer. Fine was charged with attempted lewd and lascivious battery with victim 12-15 years old, computer pornography and child exploitation, transmission of harmful material to a minor, unlawful possession of controlled substances, and possession of cannabis. In a plea deal, the drug charges were dropped after Fine pleaded guilty to third-degree attempted lewd and lascivious battery with victim 12-15 years old, and third-degree computer pornography and child exploitation. He was sentenced to five years probation and was required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
Fine was arrested as a result of this. It is believed that Fine was found not guilty in connection with this incident.
Community-written, from the To Catch a Predator Wiki. Not independently verified, and it does not establish charges or court outcomes.
Lance Fine, To Catch a Predator Wiki contributors; see revision and history links. · CC-BY-SA
Media
Sources
- 1Lance Edward Fine: arrest affidavits and first appearanceAll six rendered pages identify Lance Edward Fine, July 25, 1971 birth date and December 11, 2006 arrest. Affidavits and December 12 first appearance list contact, computer, harmful-material, delinquency and drug allegations. Plea and sentence fields are blank.
- 247: “I would so love to be beaten up by you!” – Lance Fine. on MegaphonePublic episode metadata matches the publisher RSS recording by title, release date and exact enclosure identifier. Reviewed publisher title/description names this profile as the subject of the recording.
- 347: “I would so love to be beaten up by you!” – Lance Fine. on SpotifyPublic episode metadata matches the publisher RSS recording by title, release date and exact enclosure identifier. Reviewed publisher title/description names this profile as the subject of the recording.
- 4Lance Fine (community wiki)Attributed community article. Revision date describes the article update, not a court or sting event. Full infobox, narrative sections, references and assets are retained in the private archive.
- 5Lance Fine: occupation informationThe profile infobox lists these occupations. Undated roles do not establish current employment.
- 6Lance Fine: legal outcome (revision 16142)Five years of probation and lifetime sex offender registration.
- 7Lance Fine: archived criminal-history narrativeAftermath reports a guilty plea to attempted lewd battery and computer solicitation, with drug charges dropped. The later Halloween incident is described as an arrest; claimed acquittal is explicitly uncertain.