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A multi-agency operation led to the arrest of 246 people on charges ranging from human trafficking to using a computer to seduce a child.
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd announced that 246 people were arrested in a seven-day, undercover operation dubbed “Fool around and Find Out – Again.”
The sheriff held a news conference Friday with Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier to detail the investigation focused on human trafficking, child predators and illegal immigration.
This was a follow-up to the investigation back in May, in which deputies arrested more than 200 people, including a former Bucs player.
Judd said two of the people arrested in the first investigation were arrested again.
“You know good and well that they have two brain cells. They used one on the first one and one on the second. They have zero brain cells left now,” the sheriff said at a news conference Friday morning.
Polk County deputies worked with federal agencies and other local law enforcement agencies to charge a total of 89 felonies and 282 misdemeanors during the investigation.
Officials said 99 people were charged with soliciting prostitutes, including an Orange County Sheriff’s Office law enforcement recruit. More than 100 people were charged with offering to commit prostitution and 15 were charged with traveling to meet a minor for sex or other child-sex-related crimes.
“Human traffickers are vile predators who exploit the vulnerable, and once again, a disproportionate number of those arrested in this sting were illegal aliens,” Attorney General James Uthmeier said. “Here in Florida, we will not give these traffickers the opportunity to destroy more lives.”
Here are the 15 men who were arrested during the sexual predator investigation:
- Alberto Gonzalez Torres (48)
- Louie Macalinao (62)
- Anthony Ramos, Jr. (33)
- Cameron Francis (30)
- Hugo Dos Santos (39)
- Jamal Jones (30)
- Alier Aponte Rosa (51)
- Trey Taunton (40)
- Bharat Baichan (33)
- Daniel Napoline (42)
- Spencer Englehardt (26)
- Detraun Vaughan (23)
- Christopher Williams (31)
- Jerry Siniard (50)
- Robert Vincent Hill II (56)
Deputies said these suspects communicated with and solicited people they thought were children or guardians of children online. According to investigators, 14 of them showed up at an undercover location to sexually batter children. Three offered to pay an adult to have sex with their child, according to a news release.
“Prostitution is not a victimless crime – it results in human exploitation, misery, disease, dysfunction, drug and alcohol addiction, violence, and broken families,” Judd said.
Detectives also identified 10 victims of human trafficking through the investigation. They were connected to social service organizations such as One More Child, My Name My Voice and Heartland for Children for support.
Officials said 46 of the people arrested were living in the United States illegally from countries such as the Bahamas, Brazil, China, Colombia, Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela.
Law enforcement is still looking for a man named Kyle Mullen, 36, who is accused of soliciting an undercover detective posing as a 12-year-old girl online. Deputies said Mullen sent a nude photo and is being charged with felony transmission of material harmful to a minor and felony use of a two-way communication device to commit a felony.
You can watch the full news conference below:
