NASSAU COUNTY, FLORIDA, Fla. — Thursday, Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper announced the arrests of 23 people across Florida and Georgia — who he referred to as “real monsters” seeking sex with children — in a two-phase sting operation.

The first phase was ‘Special Operation Deviant Nightfall,’ a four-day coordinated effort starting Jan. 15, 2025. This phase led to 16 arrests, including the arrest of Harrison “Ted” Clark, a Clay County elected official, whose arrest First Coast News reported at the time.

The follow-up phase, called ‘Deviant Sunrise,’ resulted in seven more arrests over a two-month period.

Detectives went undercover online, posing as minors, and were then able to intercept the suspects as they sought to meet up with “who they believed were children” for sex, NCSO said.

Those arrested included Willie Leon Wright, who NCSO says is a pastor from Green Cove Springs. He was also already registered as a sex offender. He is accused of attempting to meet up with a 14-year-old girl for sex.

NCSO says one of the men arrested, Carl Eubanks, is a Black Hawk helicopter pilot from Middleburg. He is accused of attempting to meet up with someone he believed was a 13-year-old boy. NCSO says he also faces charges in Clay County, including “allegations of previously having sexual contact with a minor between 13 and 14-year-olds.” 

“Individuals preying on and harming our children are people you would not suspect, as demonstrated with the arrest of a member of our military, a pilot, a pastor and even an elected official,” Leeper said. 

In recalling the investigation, he said: “We came into contact with real monsters, real scary, creepy people. These disturbed individuals are out there. They’re real. And I shudder to think how many have gotten with this in the past or continue to do it.” 

Leeper also mentioned that one of the men arrested, Dale Grogan, is “also under investigation for possible murder in another county.” NCSO confirmed that Grogan is being investigated, but not by their agency.

The investigation was conducted by multiple agencies in tandem with the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office: the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Florida Highway Patrol, Lake City and Fernandina Beach police departments, and Clay, St. Johns and Jacksonville Sheriff’s offices.