Santa Rosa County, FL – Between August 20th – August 23rd, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Escambia County Sheriff’s Office (ECSO), Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), and Air Force Office of Special Operations (Air Force OSI), conducted a targeted undercover operation aimed at apprehending cyber-suspects attempting to engage in illegal activity with minors.
During this operation, Deputies and Agents posted as children on commonly used social media outlets and chat applications. After the undercover officers clearly identified themselves as minors, the suspects proceeded to send explicit messages detailing their requests, some including photos or videos.
As a result of this operation, eight individuals arranged to meet with whom they believed to be minors in person with the intent of engaging in illegal activity. When the suspects arrived at the pre-arranged location, they were taken into custody. An additional eleven suspects are pending charges and are currently under investigation for various felony offenses relating to their online communications with minors.
This successful operation highlights the ongoing efforts of each Agency involved in protecting our children from online suspects. Sheriff Johnson encourages all parents and guardians to be aware of what social media or chat applications their children are utilizing.
The release of photos or names of those arrested have not been released.
