A former Fort Lauderdale tennis coach was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to coercing and enticing two minors to engage in sexual activity, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida announced Tuesday.
U.S. District Judge Melissa Damian handed down the 240-month sentence to 33-year-old Daniel James Riggs on Thursday.
“Children and parents trust coaches with more than athletic instruction. They trust them with safety, guidance, and character,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones. “This defendant abused that trust in the most disturbing way imaginable, using his position to groom and sexually exploit the very students he was supposed to mentor. Twenty years in federal prison reflects the seriousness of that betrayal. The Southern District of Florida will continue to pursue predators who target children and ensure they face the full weight of the law.”
Court records indicate Riggs worked as a tennis coach for Team Riggs at a Fort Lauderdale tennis center, where both victims were his students. He used multiple social media accounts to engage the minors in sexually explicit conversations. Law enforcement traced several of these accounts through subscriber and billing records. The criminal conduct occurred from roughly 2021 until Riggs’ arrest in late 2024.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Miami Field Office, and prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Camille Smith. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones and FBI Miami Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles.