The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has arrested fifteen individuals on charges related to soliciting sexual acts from or attempting to buy sex from juveniles online. The arrests were the result of a multi-day undercover operation conducted by the Sheriff’s Office’s Human Trafficking Section and Internet Predator Unit between April 21 and April 24, 2025.
During the operation, detectives posed as relatives of a juvenile, claiming to be selling the minor for sex. Additionally, detectives operated undercover as juveniles on various online platforms and applications. They engaged in explicit sexual conversations, received explicit photos of genitalia, and participated in explicit video calls with the suspects, all while the suspects believed they were communicating with a minor.
As a result of these online interactions, twelve suspects physically traveled to a designated location with the intent of committing sex crimes against a juvenile and were subsequently arrested. Three additional suspects agreed to purchase sex from someone they believed to be a juvenile but did not arrive at the location. These three were later arrested on warrants related to the investigation.
List of Arrested:
- 20-year-old Justin Baker
- 25-year-old Angel Garcia
- 30-year-old Joan Araque Camacho
- 32-year-old Connor Murphy
- 39-year-old Fermin Bravo Cortez
- 44-year-old Frank Meadows
- 30-year-old Ghian Carlo Lopez-Herrera
- 32-year-old Gianni Hernandez-Tabla
- 41-year-old Johan Pavon-Mejia
- 34-year-old Marquis Latham
- 41-year-old Randall Williams
- 48-year-old Stephen Allen
- 53-year-old Thawil Pudsone
- 48-year-old Walter Rivera
Sheriff Chad Chronister emphasized the dangers that online platforms pose to children, stating, “As technology continues to enhance and more of our children use the internet as a way to advance their education, connect with friends, and communicate with loved ones, these predators are using it to torment, manipulate, and prey on the innocent. By arresting these fifteen criminals, our detectives continue to prove that crimes against kids will never be tolerated in Hillsborough County.”
The Lakeland Police Department and the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office provided assistance in the arrest of two of the wanted suspects.
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