British man traveled to South Florida to abuse a child, Miami judge rules
A British child sexual abuser was found guilty by a Miami federal judge of traveling to South Florida to continue abusing a child he met in Germany, the Department of Justice announced on Friday.
Justin Matthew Ward, 59, befriended a family living in Germany while the parents were employed by the U.S. Department of State, prosecutors say. While in Germany, Ward sexually assaulted one of the couple’s children, who was under the age of 12.
The family then moved to South Florida. Ward traveled there in February 2004 and resumed sexually assaulting the same child, according to a press release from the DOJ.
In December 2012, Ward was arrested in the United Kingdom on unrelated charges involving child molestation and the production of child sexual abuse material, feds say. He was convicted and sentenced to 11 years in prison. After completing his sentence, Ward was taken into custody under a U.S. extradition request.
“After years of legal challenges, Ward was extradited to the Southern District of Florida on July 14, 2025,” the Department of Justice wrote in a press release
In a bench trial — meaning his innocence or guilt was determined by a judge and not a jury — U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez found Ward guilty last month of traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. Ward faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 7.
“Crimes against children are the most vile offenses imaginable,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “After years of legal challenges, he was extradited to the United States to face justice. Let this be clear: distance, time, and geography will not shield child predators.”
FBI Miami is investigating this case, which is part of Project Safe Childhood, “a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.”