Central Florida sting nets 16 child predator arrests in 4 days | #childpredator | #kidsaftey | #childsaftey

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier held a news conference at the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday to announce the arrest of 16 child predators following a four-day undercover operation in Central Florida.

According to Uthmeier, the sting, which ran March 18-21, was the most successful Internet Crimes Against Children operation in Osceola County history. It was led by the Office of Statewide Prosecution and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, with support from Homeland Security Investigations, the Orlando Police Department, and the St. Cloud Police Department.

“Each one of these predators was ready and willing to engage in sexual abuse of children, but they were met with undercover officers and handcuffs instead,” Uthmeier said.

According to a news release, the suspects engaged in sexually explicit conversations with undercover officers posing as 13-, 14-, and 15-year-old children through chatrooms and escort websites before traveling to a prearranged meeting location, where they were arrested.

“If you target kids, you are not safe,” Osceola County Sheriff Christopher Blackmon said. “You will be hunted, not the hunter.”

The following individuals were arrested and charged:

Luis Colon-Serrano, 37, Venezuela

• Travel to Meet a Child

• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device

• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor

• Criminal Solicitation

• Lewd and Lascivious Battery

James Macrae, 19

• Travel to Meet a Child

• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device

• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor

• Lewd and Lascivious Battery

• Criminal Attempted Felony

• Cause Child to Commit Act Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor

Sroas Tes, 36

• Travel to Meet a Child

• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device

• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor

• Lewd and Lascivious Battery

• Criminal Attempted Felony

• Cause Child to Commit Act Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor

Steven Zamora, 24

• Travel to Meet a Child

• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device

• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor

• Lewd and Lascivious Battery

• Criminal Attempted Felony

• Cause Child to Commit Act Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor

Gary Robinson, 38

• Travel to Meet a Child

• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device

• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor

• Lewd and Lascivious Battery

• Criminal Attempted Felony

• Cause Child to Commit Act Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor

• Resisting Arrest

• Possession of Cannabis

Naman Kanthwal, 29, India

• Travel to Meet a Child

• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device

• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor

• Lewd and Lascivious Battery

• Criminal Attempted Felony

• Cause Child to Commit Act Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor

Jason Nguyen, 33

• Travel to Meet a Child

• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device

• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor

• Lewd and Lascivious Battery

• Criminal Attempted Felony

• Cause Child to Commit Act Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor

Sheldon Lee, 34

• Travel to Meet a Child

• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device

• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor

• Lewd and Lascivious Battery

• Criminal Attempted Felony

• Cause Child to Commit Act Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor

• Possession of Cannabis

Michael Cornell, 36

• Travel to Meet a Child

• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device

• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor

• Lewd and Lascivious Battery

• Criminal Attempted Felony

• Cause Child to Commit Act Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor

Brian Ford Jr., 21

• Travel to Meet a Child

• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device

• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor

• Lewd and Lascivious Battery

• Criminal Attempted Felony

• Cause Child to Commit Act Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor

Wesley Young, 37

• Travel to Meet a Child

• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device

• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor

• Lewd and Lascivious Battery

• Criminal Attempted Felony

• Cause Child to Commit Act Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor

Lance Roberts, 39

• Travel to Meet a Child

• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device

• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor

• Lewd and Lascivious Battery

• Criminal Attempted Felony

• Cause Child to Commit Act Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor

• Tampering with or Fabricating Physical Evidence

Joseph Grausso, 41

• Travel to Meet a Child

• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device

• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor

• Lewd and Lascivious Battery

• Criminal Attempted Felony

• Cause Child to Commit Act Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor

Jason Snow, 19

• Travel to Meet a Child

• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device

• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor

• Lewd and Lascivious Battery

• Criminal Attempted Felony

• Cause Child to Commit Act Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor

Ivan Gonzalez De Jesus, 27

• Travel to Meet a Child

• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device

• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor

• Lewd and Lascivious Battery

• Criminal Attempted Felony

• Cause Child to Commit Act Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor

Nicolas Velasquez, 35

• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device

• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor

• Criminal Attempted Felony

• Transmission of Harmful Materials of a Minor (x5)