Registered Sex Offender Sentenced For Trying To Lure Sarasota Girl Into His Car: Police

SARASOTA, FL — A registered sex offender was sentenced to 10 years in state prison Friday after pleading guilty to trying to lure a 13-year-old Sarasota girl into his car last year, authorities said.

Mark McGoldrick, 70, also was sentenced to 15 years of probation following his release from prison, Sarasota police said in a news release.

McGoldrick was arrested in July 2025 after the girl called 911 and reported that an elderly man in an SUV had tried to lure her into his vehicle.

The girl recorded part of the encounter on video before fleeing the area and later identified him from a photo lineup, police said.

Detectives learned that McGoldrick had approached the girl multiple times over the previous year, including while she was alone at a school bus stop.

He was initially charged with aggravated stalking of a child under 16 and loitering and prowling by a sexual offender close to children.

The investigation later uncovered previous arrests for similar offenses in Florida and elsewhere in the United States. He was featured on “America’s Most Wanted” in 2011 after failing to register as a sex offender in Palm Beach County, police said.

Detectives also found that McGoldrick had used aliases when registering for social media accounts.

That investigation resulted in three additional felony charges in December 2025 for failing to report identifying information about websites or apps, police said.

Previous victims were also found during the investigation and their testimony was presented during Friday’s sentencing hearing.

“This case started with a victim who had the courage to come forward and we don’t take that trust lightly,” Capt. Jonathan Todd with the Sarasota Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division said. “Sarasota police officers, detectives, and the State Attorney’s Office worked hard to make sure their voices were heard and made sure this predator was held accountable and taken off our streets.”

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