Share and Follow
First Coast News has gained exclusive access to an undercover sting operation in Nassau County, providing a rare glimpse into the tactics predators use to target children online, and the law enforcement efforts to apprehend them.
NASSAU COUNTY, Fla — In an unprecedented move, Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper has allowed our reporting team to witness firsthand the meticulous work of detectives as they monitor and apprehend individuals accused of attempting to engage in illicit activities with minors. Sheriff Leeper makes no attempt to soften his language, referring to these online predators as “scum bags.”
This in-depth series delves deeper than the arrests themselves. Over the course of four segments, starting with this installment, First Coast News will explore the sophisticated strategies used by predators: their grooming techniques, deceptive tactics, and methods for gaining the trust of children, including very young ones.
Footage from recent sting operations captures the often feigned surprise of suspects as they are taken into custody, with one individual questioning deputies, “Can I ask what’s going on?”
Inside the Sting: Operation Stuffed Animals
Detective Charlie Lucas sheds light on the disturbing nature of these interactions, describing the explicit conversations these men engage in with individuals they believe to be 14-year-old girls as “very filthy” and “nasty.”
“It is very filthy. It’s nasty,” said Detective Charlie Lucas, describing the explicit conversations these men initiate with what they think are 14 year old girls.
In reality, they were talking online with trained undercover detectives inside the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office. “These perverts know Nassau County is putting its foot down,” Captain Charlie Lucas said.
The suspects arrested come from across the country; Florida, Georgia, even Wyoming. Detective Josh Carter says these men will go to extreme lengths to meet with a child.
We’ve had them get bus tickets, fly … We’ve had them Uber,” Carter said.
The sting runs out of a secure room in the sheriff’s office, where multiple agencies collaborate, including the FBI, Homeland Security, FDLE, NCIS, and local ones from St. Johns County, Lake City, Clay County and more.
Undercover investigators are called “chatters.” When a man agrees to meet a minor for sex, officers move in quickly and arrest him.
Outside the jail, First Coast News reporter Jeannie Blaylock saw the men brought in almost immediately after takedowns.
For three days, investigators carried out arrests, escorting suspects in handcuffs into custody.
The operation was called Operation Stuffed Animals, a name chosen to remind the public that the victims are innocent children.
Targeted on Roblox
Detective Josh Carter and Captain Charlie Lucas warn that even young children are vulnerable.
Roblox — a gaming platform with more than 150 million daily players — can be harmless fun. But for one young elementary school girl on the First Coast, it became the starting point for a devastating crime.
“I will tell you this … 21 years of police work, most of my career dedicated to the safety of children,” said Detective Carter, “And the stuff that this person did to this little girl was so vulgar, so terrible, that I can tell you as an experienced investigator I had to vomit in the garbage can.”
The man responsible was Charles Leonard, now 21. According to court records, Leonard pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor.
A federal judge signed his sentencing order on Sept. 30, 2025: 15 years in prison.
The victim was extremely young when the predator discovered her on Roblox. “This little girl only had a phone for two days,” Carter said.
“Roblox is a playground for predators, in my opinion.”
Leonard then coached the child to move their communication to Snapchat.
The arrest warrant reveals disturbing messages:
• He wrote: “HAIIII — IT’S ME BABY”
• He told her he wanted to “play a game” with her and asked if she had a “banana”
• He instructed her to perform sexual acts, including with a “toothbrush” and even with with the family dog
The warrant details are far beyond horrifying.
And investigators discovered he targeted many children. Detective Carter said they identified “over 430 other victims,” all of whom were minors.
“They were between four and sixteen or so”
How could this happen to such young children? Carter explains that “It’s very, very easy to do with someone who’s super young.”
How do you protect your children?
Whether your kids are little or in high school, predators target all ages — online and in person.
In this series, you’ll meet a local mom who took drastic action after discovering what was hidden inside her child’s phone. It looked like a calculator app, but it wasn’t. She ended up destroying the phone with a hammer.
Coming up next in the series
What about the new security rules for Roblox that promise better protection for kids? Will they actually help?
That’s coming up this week in CHILD SEX PREDATORS on First Coast News.
