A 24-year-old Ocala man was arrested last week after he allegedly solicited a detective posing as a 13-year-old girl online for child pornography to “prove that she was not a law enforcement officer.”
On Wednesday, March 12, a man – identified as Gavin Warner Kirby – began sending private messages to an undercover Marion County Sheriff’s Office detective who was posing as a 13-year-old girl.
The messages from Kirby were in response to a social media post stating that the teen was “new to the area,” according to MCSO.
The sheriff’s office stated that in the initial messages, Kirby was informed by the undercover detective that he was messaging an underage girl. Kirby allegedly proceeded to obtain the girl’s phone number and called her multiple times.
On Sunday, April 1, during one of those phone calls, a different undercover detective answered and identified themselves as the 13-year-old girl. According to MCSO, Kirby requested for the teen to “produce child pornography” so she could “prove that she was not a law enforcement officer.” He allegedly wanted this proof before meeting her for sex.
In addition, MCSO alleges that Kirby sent a sexually explicit photo to the girl and deleted it after confirming she had seen it. The sheriff’s office stated that Kirby “repeatedly engaged in concerning covert behaviors in an attempt to avoid being caught.”
During an investigation, MCSO identified Kirby as the man who was allegedly messaging the undercover detective posing as a 13-year-old girl. Since November of 2024, he had allegedly made “dozens of [online] posts” seeking others, including children, to engage in sexual activity with him, according to the sheriff’s office.
While responding to Kirby’s home, detectives spotted his vehicle in the area, and a traffic stop was conducted. Kirby was placed under arrest, booked into Marion County Jail, and released two days later after posting a $15,000 bond.
Detectives believe that Kirby, whose father pastors a church in southeast Ocala, may have other victims. If anyone has information about potential victims, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office asks that you call Detective Osthed at 352-351-4710.
Kirby is being charged with using a computer to solicit a child while misrepresenting age and transmitting material harmful to minors. He is scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, June 10, according to jail records.