Former Pinellas Teacher Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Child Sexual Abuse Offenses

Lee Hughes, a 46-year-old former Pinellas Park teacher, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for child sexual abuse offenses including attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor, attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, and receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material. Hughes pleaded guilty on January 30, 2026, with the sentence handed down by U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber.