POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Fifteen men were arrested, accused of trying to meet up with children for sex in a major undercover bust. The men were set up by detectives in Polk County.
The men came from all over Central Florida, including Brandon, Dunedin, Kissimmee, Lakeland, Lake Mary, Lake Placid, Maitland, New Port Richey, Orange City, Orlando, Plant City, Sarasota, St. Cloud, and Tampa.
Detectives found the men by trolling on the website Craigslist. They took out ads that simply read, "Mom seeking guidance for my daughter," and, when the suspects answered the ad online, they actually traded emails with undercover deputies.
SUSPECTS IN CUSTODY: See Images | Raw Video ( explicit ) RAW INTERVIEW: Sheriff Talks About Sting VIDEO REPORT: 15 Arrested In Sex Sting CRIME REPORTS: Map Crimes In Your Neighborhood
WFTV was the only local television station there as four of the men were taken away in a van (images | raw video) ( explicit ). Ray Damon of Plant City spoke to reporter Blaine Tolison.
"I told her what she wanted so she would invite me here so I could hook up with her mother," Damon said. "I figured if she kept pushing it with the daughter, I was going to leave. That was it."
Fifteen men ranging in age from 18 to 67 years old, are among the worst people you'll ever meet, the Polk County sheriff told WFTV.
"This group of folks were absolutely as disgusting as any we've every arrested," said Sheriff Grady Judd (watch interview) . "They're nasty individuals and they need to be exactly where we're putting them, in prison."
The arrests included men like Robert Chan, from Pinellas County, who allegedly brought Skittles for a 13-year-old girl he was after.
"We have a predator show up with condoms in one hand, and candy bars in the other hand,"Sheriff Judd said. "He made statements like, ‘What I want this little 13-year-old to do is do gymnastics while she's nude.' That's sick."
Sheriff Grady Judd's office led a sting that started with ads on Craigslist and ended with arrests and felony sex charges. Judd said all of the suspects believed they were going to have sex with girls as young as 10 years old.
Most of the accused live in Central Florida counties, including 33-year-old Tommy Dupre of St. Cloud, who answered the ad and unwittingly chatted online with undercover detectives. He then drove to a Polk County home expecting to have sex with a 14-year-old girl, detectives said.
Deputies said the 15 men they arrested also included an airline employee and a man who a sergeant recognized as his son's little league coach.
"But I don't know who was the most surprised when the front door opened. Him, when he saw the sheriff's detectives, or the undercover officer who recognized him as being his child's youth baseball coach," Judd said.
Judd's office has now launched 11 similar stings and rounded up hundreds of suspects arrested for sex crimes; the sheriff promises there is more on the way.
"If we didn't arrest you this time, if we didn't arrest you in the last 10 operations, we'll arrest you in the next one," he said.
During the investigation, from Thursday, August 12, through Sunday, August 15, 2010, the 15 adult males were arrested and charged with traveling to meet a minor for sex (or related crimes).
Alberto Diaz was the JetBlue employee arrested on Friday. Sheriff Judd says Diaz, Chan, Damon, Dupre, Leon Brison, Mark McClure and nine others had specific intentions.
"It's just one of many that we do in this county to protect your children and your grandchildren," Sheriff Judd said.
None of the suspects had any previous arrests for sex crimes. All are charged with second and third-degree felonies. Polk County prosecutors say they will be offered 5- year prison terms. If any choose to go to trial, they could face up to 15 years or more.
WFTV
