LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — Ten men were arrested in Lake County over the past week as part of an undercover cybersting targeting sexual predators trying to meet up with children for sex, investigators said.
During the operation, called Treasure Florida’s Kids, Lake County sheriff’s deputies posed online as children as young as 13 or caregivers willing to sell minors for sex, officials said.
“It’s scary and dangerous, and that’s why we will continue to do these operations,” said Kristin Thompson, spokesperson with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
The men arrested would approach the undercover deputies online, start chatting with them, send nude photos and eventually arrange a meeting, investigators said.
The men showed up expecting to have sex with the child and brought things like condoms, beer, lip gloss and, in one case, Dr. Pepper, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said.
When they arrived, the men were arrested by waiting investigators.
While glad to get 10 suspected sexual predators off the streets, Thompson said there are always more out there on the prowl for children.
“It’s always disturbing, and unfortunately, it’s quite common,” she said. “We’ve seen them in a lot of the operations, and it’s always just disturbing.”
One of the men arrested was Shawn Kenyon, who officials said works at Universal Studios. A spokesperson for Universal said Kenyon no longer works at the theme park.
None of the men are sex offenders, deputies said, but Austin Guiffre has a history of sex crimes when he was a juvenile.
The 10 men arrested in the operation are:
- Gunner James Artibee, 25, charged with traveling to seduce, solicit, lure a child to commit a sex act, and attempted lewd and lascivious acts with a child
- Austin Jereimiah Guiffre, 24, charged with transmission of harmful material to a minor, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device
- Craig Alexander Harley, 32, charged with traveling to seduce, solicit or lure a guardian or custodian to commit sex acts with a child, transmission of harmful materials to a child, and attempted lewd and lascivious acts with a child
- John Ghaly Hanna Ghaly, 29, charged with traveling to seduce, solicit, lure a child to commit a sex act, and attempted lewd and lascivious acts with a child
- Steven G. Head, 48, charged with traveling to seduce, solicit or lure a guardian or custodian to commit sex acts with a child, attempted lewd and lascivious acts with a child, possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia
- Martin Lee Wilkins, 55, charged with traveling to seduce, solicit or lure a child to commit sex acts, transmission of harmful materials to a child and attempted lewd and lascivious acts with a child
- Michael A. Castillo, 22, charged with traveling to seduce, solicit, lure a child to commit a sex act, and attempted lewd and lascivious acts with a child
- Richard Karl Hummer, 52, charged with transmission of harmful material to a minor
- John Francis Daiuto, Jr., 65, transmission of harmful material to a minor, certain uses of computer devices prohibited and possession of child pornography
- Shawn Francis Kenyon, 46, charged with traveling to seduce, solicit or lure a guardian or custodian to commit sex acts with a child, transmission of harmful materials to a child and attempted lewd and lascivious acts with a child