Former NASCAR driver Richard Hoyt Crawford Jr. is accused of enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity, according to the Department of Justice.
- Richard Hoyt Crawford Jr. is accused of paying to have sex with minor
- Crawford drove to Seminole County to meet child: DOJ stated
A grand jury returned an indictment, charging the 59-year-old Port Orange man with trying to tempt a minor into sexual activity, the DOJ stated.
Last month, Crawford thought he was communicating with a father by email and text to have sex with a 12-year-old girl, but in reality the "father" was an undercover FBI agent, the DOJ explained.
After allegedly asking for a photo of the child, Crawford offered to pay between $50 to $75 to have sex with the child, according to the DOJ.
"... (Crawford) asked that the 'girl' be nude in the back of the 'father's' car and ready for sexual activity," stated the DOJ in a news release.
On Wednesday, Feb. 28, Crawford drove from his Port Orange home to Seminole County, but instead of meeting the child, he met federal agents, the DOJ confirmed.
The DOJ issued a reminder that, "An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty."
Crawford has spent nearly 20 years participating in the NASCAR truck racing series and has won multiple races in his long career as a professional driver.