A former Disney World Mickey Mouse performer and 12 coworkers were among nearly 300 people arrested in a Florida sex sting that also involved four Universal employees, a youth football coach and a US Navy sailor, authorities said.
Colin Klaco, 24, was arrested after allegedly arranging to meet a person he believed was a young boy online but who was actually an undercover agent, authorities said Friday. A local sheriff noted that Klaco also used his Mickey Mouse character’s “high spooky voice.” Investigators said he had an interest in diapers and brought two backpacks containing diapers he planned to wear and place on the boy.
Adam Snyder, another suspect, worked at the Roundup Rodeo restaurant in Disney’s Toy Story Land. Police said he was still wearing his work uniform when he was arrested while attempting to have sex with a minor.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd described Rashiod Crayton, a 31-year-old local youth football coach, as the “worst of the worst.” Judd said messages Crayton sent to someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl were so graphic that he would not disclose their full contents.
“The focus here is to go out into the underworld and look for those who want to prey upon our folks,” Judd said of the historic weeklong operation, dubbed “Polk Around and Find Out II.”
Undercover agents arrested 281 people during the operation, including suspected child predators and human traffickers, Judd said at a news conference. Eleven people identified as trafficking victims were rescued, while most of the arrests involved prostitution.
According to the sheriff’s office, 32 of those arrested were in the country illegally and came from nine countries, including Italy, India, Peru, Ecuador and Haiti. Authorities said 22 of them were illegally receiving public assistance totaling more than $100,000 a year.
Judd called Klaco “the nastiest person we’ve ever arrested.”
While discussing Snyder’s arrest, the sheriff showed reporters footage of an ice-cream truck passing by. Judd described the timing as “apropos.”
Judd said Crayton told the person he believed was a 14-year-old girl, among other things, “I can pick you up at school, and then we can have sex in the car.”
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“You see, we’ve got to be careful because just these texts will put me in jail,” Crayton allegedly wrote, according to Judd. When he arrived, the sheriff said, Crayton also brought a battery-powered sex toy.
Authorities also arrested US Navy machinist Dang Thai, whom Judd said lied about being 17 even though he was 24. After his arrest on suspicion of attempting to have sex with a minor, Thai reportedly protested that he had “top secret clearance.”
Of the total arrests, 117 people were caught by undercover agents and charged with soliciting prostitution. An Orange County deputy was among those arrested.
Another 122 people were arrested on charges related to committing prostitution.
After screening those arrested, law enforcement determined that 11 were victims of human trafficking, the sheriff’s office said.
All 11 were offered support services.
Judd said the Florida sex sting was the largest operation in Polk County’s history. He also confirmed that all Disney employees arrested during the operation had been fired.
Nine of the people charged were on probation, while 31 had previous prostitution charges.
Thirty-six of those arrested were married.
“At least they were as of the time that they were arrested. I don’t know what their significant other thinks about them today,” Judd quipped.