Fired lifeguard pleads guilty in child sex case

A former city of Fort Lauderdale lifeguard admitted Monday that he tried to meet what he thought was a 9-year-old girl for sex earlier this year, court records show.

Joshua Asseraf, 22, of Sunrise, was fired from his job at the Aquatic Complex days after he was arrested in August in an FBI sting.

On Monday, he pleaded guilty to a federal charge of enticement of a minor. Prosecutors said they will recommend that Asseraf, who has been jailed since his arrest, should be sentenced to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced next year in federal court in West Palm Beach.

Prosecutors said Asseraf started communicating with the undercover agent on a messaging board in late August and then began texting about meeting the man and his fictional 9-year-old daughter for sex. In one text, Asseraf wrote that he wanted the man to film the illegal sexual activity so he could watch it again, investigators said.

“Not everyday I [expletive] a 9 y[ear-old] lol,” he wrote. “Of course it won’t be [shared] anywhere I don’t want to be in jail lol It’s just for me.”

Asseraf was arrested Aug. 29 when he showed up at a Broward County hotel with two stuffed animals, which he said were a gift for the girl, according to the the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force.

Prosecutors said Asseraf expressed an intent to sexually abuse a child in a “very sadistic way” and wanted to make a video of it that he could keep and watch over and over again.

During the investigation, Asseraf claimed he had sexual intercourse with two underage girls in the past and sent the undercover agent photographs of the girls (he said they were ages 11 and 12), according to court records. Authorities said they also found evidence on his cellphone that he had tried to arrange illegal sexual encounters with real children in the past.

There were no allegations of impropriety at the aquatic center, which many people still call the International Swimming Hall of Fame, on Fort Lauderdale beach south of Las Olas Boulevard. Asseraf was employed there as a part-time pool lifeguard from March until he was fired a few days after his arrest.

Asseraf must also register as a sex offender when he is released from prison, according to the terms of his plea agreement. pmcmahon@sunsentinel .com, 954-356-4533 or Twitter @SentinelPaula

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