The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and partner agencies arrested 13 suspects during an online child sexual predator operation.
The five-day online operation targeted predators who were engaging in sexually explicit and harmful communication with minors, transmitting child sexual abuse material, and arranging to meet a minor for sexual activity.
The operation was conducted by inspectors, agents and analysts with FDLE and the Florida Highway Patrol, Florida Department of Agriculture, Homeland Security Investigations, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, United States Marshals Service, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, Gulf Breeze Police Department, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lake City Police Department.
The following suspects were charged:
- Nicholas Beech, 27, of Eight Mile, AL
- Charges: seduce, solicit, lure, or entice a minor to engage in sexual conduct; travel to meet a minor for sexual activity; use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony; transmission of harmful material to a minor
- Marshall Blansett, 39, of Pensacola
- Charges: seduce, solicit, lure, or entice a minor to engage in sexual conduct; travel to meet a minor for sexual activity; use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony, transmission of harmful material to a minor
- Duran Brown, 18, of Pensacola
- Charges: seduce, solicit, lure, or entice a minor to engage in sexual conduct; travel to meet a minor for sexual activity; use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony
- Royce Cromer, 39, of Pensacola
- Charges: seduce, solicit, lure, or entice a minor to engage in sexual conduct; travel to meet a minor for sexual activity; use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony
- Micah Costner, 18, of Gulf Shores, AL
- Charges: seduce, solicit, lure, or entice a minor to engage in sexual conduct; travel to meet a minor for sexual activity; use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony
- Christopher Glover, 47, of Grand Bay, AL
- Charges: seduce, solicit, lure, or entice a minor to engage in sexual conduct; travel to meet a minor for sexual activity; use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony; transmission of harmful material to a minor, resisting arrest without violence
- David Girard, 70, of Robertsdale, AL
- Charges: seduce, solicit, lure, or entice a minor to engage in sexual conduct; travel to meet a minor for sexual activity; use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony
- Noah Kimmons, 19, of Pensacola,
- Charges: seduce, solicit, lure, or entice a minor to engage in sexual conduct; travel to meet a minor for sexual activity; use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony
- William Pierce, 52, of Pensacola
- Charges: transmission of harmful material to a minor, use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony, promoting the sexual performance by a child
- Robby Robertson, 47, of Beulah
- Charges: seduce, solicit, lure, or entice a minor to engage in sexual conduct; travel to meet a minor for sexual activity; use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony
- Ricardo Del Rosario, 38, of Pensacola
- Charges: seduce, solicit, lure, or entice a minor to engage in sexual conduct; travel to meet a minor for sexual activity; use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony
- Ranger Shindle, 19, of Crestview
- Charges: seduce, solicit, lure, or entice a minor to engage in sexual conduct; travel to meet a minor for sexual activity; use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony; transmission of harmful material to a minor
- Chad Wren, 56, of Beulah
- Charges: seduce, solicit, lure, or entice a minor to engage in sexual conduct; travel to meet a minor for sexual activity; use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony
As we previously reported, Wren was a custodian at Blue Angel Elementary School and resigned the day of his arrest.
FDLE said the investigation remains active and ongoing.
Additionally, FDLE and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office conducted a three-day enforcement operation focused on verifying the residential addresses of registered sexual offenders and sexual predators. During the initiative, contact was made with 130 registrants residing within Escambia County. The investigation also remains ongoing.
Pictured: (L-R, top row) Blansett, Brown, Comer, (second row) Costner, Girard, Pierce, (third row) Robertson, Shindle, Wren. Other mugshots were not available from the Escambia County Jail at time of publication.
