MARION COUNTY, FL – A multi-agency online sting operation led by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) has resulted in the arrest of 40 men on numerous charges related to online child exploitation. The suspects face charges including Traveling to Meet a Minor for Illegal Sexual Conduct, Human Trafficking, and Using a Computer to Solicit a Child.
The operation involved undercover law enforcement officers who posed as children between the ages of 13 and 15. The men arrested engaged in sexually explicit conversations and arranged to meet the supposed minor. When they arrived at the predetermined location, they were met by law enforcement officers and taken into custody. According to the MCSO, some of the men traveled up to an hour with the intent of meeting a child.
During the arrests, deputies and detectives seized guns, drugs, cash, and vehicles from the offenders. The investigation remains active, and additional arrests are expected.
“My office routinely conducts these types of operations. With each operation, we catch more and more. The number of offenders only goes up,” said Sheriff Woods. He urged parents to be vigilant about their children’s online activities.
The sting operation was a collaborative effort that included the Ocala Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Port Orange Police Department, the Lake City Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol Aviation Unit.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.