STUART, Fla. (CBS12) — A Palm Beach Gardens man has been sentenced to 127 years in Florida state prison in a child sexual exploitation case that began when a Stuart mother found concerning messages on her child’s phone, police said.
Phoenix Monserrate was sentenced Wednesday after being convicted on multiple charges involving the sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child sexual abuse material, according to the Stuart Police Department.
Police first announced Monserrate’s arrest in December 2024 as part of an investigation that led to three arrests.
The investigation began after the child’s mother contacted Stuart police about messages found on the child’s phone. Detectives identified three men who police said provided or offered tobacco, alcohol and other gifts in an apparent attempt to establish a relationship with the juvenile.
Monserrate, then 22, was arrested on more than a dozen charges, including 10 counts of possessing or viewing depictions of child sexual conduct and five counts of promoting sexual performances by a child, according to Stuart police records.
Two other men were also arrested in connection with the investigation. Robert Green, of Fort Pierce, was convicted of providing tobacco products, including a vape device, to the child. Austin Lanyon, a Tampa firefighter at the time, faced allegations including transmitting harmful material to a minor, lewd solicitation of a child and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
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Stuart police said its detectives worked with Homeland Security Investigations in Fort Pierce on the case. The department also credited the State Attorney’s Office for prosecuting Monserrate.
“The Stuart Police Department remains committed to protecting children and holding those who prey upon them accountable,” police said in announcing the sentence.