MARION COUNTY, Fla. — 58 people were arrested after a weeklong undercover operation in Marion County targeting adults accused of trying to meet children for sex, the sheriff’s office said.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said the operation, called “Operation Bad Habits,” involved detectives posing online as children between the ages of 7 and 15.
Investigators said the people arrested contacted the undercover detectives and arranged to meet who they believed were children for sex.
Several of the people arrested also face human trafficking charges after investigators said they tried to pay for access to children.
The sheriff’s office said those arrested included fathers, coaches, teachers and a high school student.
The sheriff’s office released graphics showing the names and booking photos of people arrested in the operation.
One graphic uses color markers to indicate whether investigators said each person was seeking sexual activity with a boy or a girl.
Other graphics released by the sheriff’s office highlighted several arrests individually, including a youth football coach and several people the agency identified as non-U.S. citizens.
The operation was conducted by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office with help from several local, state and federal agencies.
Those agencies included the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, Ocala police, Lake City police, the Florida Highway Patrol, the U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, the Florida Sheriffs Association, the State Attorney’s Office for the Fifth Judicial Circuit and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
“Once again, the amazing teamwork and determination among all these agencies involved are sending a clear message to child sex predators that Florida has no tolerance for this and we will continue to do everything we can to protect these children,” Sheriff Billy Woods said in a statement.
The sheriff’s office said the investigation has ended, but additional details about the arrests are expected to be released.
The case remains under investigation.
Chris Hansen appears in the video released as part of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office’s “Operation Bad Habits” media materials.
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