A 22-year-old Palm Coast resident was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday in St. Johns County for multiple child sex offenses. Ali Moreno received the life term followed by an additional 35 years after a jury found him guilty in April.
The St. Johns County jury convicted Moreno of two counts of sexual battery against a person under 12, traveling to meet a minor, and soliciting a child for unlawful sexual conduct via computer services while misrepresenting his age. He was also found guilty of promoting a sexual performance by a child, possessing child pornography, and unlawfully using a two-way communication device.
According to prosecutors, the crimes began in October 2024 when Moreno, then 21, created a profile posing as a 15-year-old boy on a social media platform. Investigators state he used this persona to groom an 11-year-old girl. The pair later traveled from Flagler County to St. Johns County, where the assault occurred.
During the investigation, the Seventh Judicial Circuit reported that detectives identified several additional victims from across the area who were groomed and assaulted by Moreno.
St. Johns is about 8 miles west of Nocatee.
