POLK COUNTY, Fla. — During a 10 a.m. press conference on Thursday, Sheriff Grady Judd discussed a two-week undercover investigation that resulted in the arrests of 13 men accused of seeking sexual activity with minors.
During the multi-agency investigation, dubbed 'Operation Cyber Guardian 2,' detectives posed as children on different social media platforms, mobile apps and online dating sites in order to investigate those who target children and travel to meet with them for illicit sexual activity.
The Polk County Sheriff's Department was assisted in the investigation by police departments from Auburndale, Bartow, Davenport, and Tampa, as well as the Hernando County Sheriff's Office, Orange County Sheriff's Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Office of the State Attorney 10th Judicial Circuit, State Attorney Brian Haas.
"When you think of this kind of criminal, most of these folks don't have an arrest record. This is not your traditional criminal; this your evil person that lurks beneath the level of society looking for children,” said Sheriff Grady Judd during the press conference.
The suspects are facing a total of 41 felony and three misdemeanor charges which include:
- traveling to meet a minor for sex
- attempted lewd battery
- use of a computer to seduce a child
- unlawful use of a two-way communication device
- transmission of material harmful to a child
Those arrested include a Disney employee, a Publix employee, an Amazon employee and a man that installs internet safety programs in schools, the sheriff's office said in a press release.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s office, three of the suspects believed they were communicating with the parent or guardian of a child who wanted to teach their “child” to have sex or who wanted to arrange for their child to have sex with the suspect.
"I have an addiction too. It's called an arresting addiction," Sheriff Judd said while holding up a picture of a 16-year Disney employee who, according to Judd said he has a 'chatting addiction.'
Five of the suspects had sexually explicit exchanges or sent harmful materials to those they thought were children. Eight of the suspects traveled to the undercover location with the objective of having sex with those they believed were children.
“Parents, please get all in your child’s business when it comes to their use of electronic devices that gives them access to online gaming, mobile applications, texting, or the internet. Check their devices regularly, and ensure parental controls are enabled to keep men like these away from your kids,” Sheriff Grady Judd said in a release.
