BROOKSVILLE, Fla. — Three men face felony charges following a two-week undercover operation targeting people attempting to solicit sex from minors, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office announced.
Detectives with the agency’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) unit began the proactive sting on Oct. 14, 2026. Investigators posing as minors established contact with three suspects through various online platforms, leading to arrests at prearranged meeting spots in Brooksville.
The first arrest occurred Oct. 15, 2026. Authorities said detectives communicated on social media with Shawn Colfer, 32, of Clearwater, who believed he was chatting with a 14-year-old. According to investigators, Colfer sent explicit photos and drove to Hernando County to meet the teen. During a post-arrest interview, detectives said Colfer admitted to owning the accounts, sending the images, and traveling with the intention of starting a long-term “friends with benefits” relationship.
Colfer was booked into the Hernando County Detention Center on charges of traveling to meet after using a computer to lure a minor, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, and two counts of transmitting information harmful to a minor.
The second suspect, 22-year-old Keaton Bradley Ellis, was arrested after detectives initiated contact with him online on Oct. 16, 2026. Investigators said the conversation moved to text messaging, where Ellis believed he was communicating with a 15-year-old. After sending a nude photo, Ellis agreed to meet and drove to a predetermined location in Brooksville after leaving work. During questioning, Ellis confirmed account ownership, acknowledged knowing he was speaking to someone he believed was a minor, and admitted he intended to engage in sexual relations.
Jail (Unsplash)
Ellis was booked on charges of traveling to meet a minor, transmission of material harmful to a minor, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony. He is being held without bond.
Detectives first contacted the third arrestee, Salvatore Va, 34, on Oct. 15, 2026. Authorities said Va sent nude photos to an investigator posing as a 15-year-old and agreed to meet in Brooksville, but did not show up.
The case resumed Oct. 29, 2026, when an investigator, Sgt. Keiper, received a text from an unfamiliar number while returning from a human trafficking conference in Washington, D.C. The sender stated he found the number through an app. Keiper reviewed the profile data and determined it was Va using a new online identity. The two resumed discussions regarding sexual acts, and Va sent additional nude photos before arranging another meeting.
Detectives took Va into custody when he arrived at the Brooksville location. Va requested legal counsel during his interview and was booked into the county jail without bond on charges of traveling to meet a minor, two counts of transmission of material harmful to a minor, and two counts of unlawful use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony.
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