FL Sex Sting Nets 30 Arrests In Child Predator Search

POLK COUNTY, FL — Parents who scoff at the possibility that a child predator or offender could be targeting their children need a reality check, said Polk County Sheriff's Grady Judd.

A two-week undercover operation targeting child sex predators netted 30 arrests by Polk County sheriff's detectives, including 27 arrests of registered previously convicted child predators or offenders, officials said on Feb. 24.

During Operation Child Predator III, Polk County sheriff's detectives took to the internet, posing as children on various social media platforms and online apps to nab people who prey on children.

Those arrested face charges ranging from sending racy photos and vulgar messages to kids to those who actually traveled to locations set up by undercover detectives to meet and have sex with children.

"Our detectives are simply the very best in this business," Judd said. "They were doing what they do best and that is to find predators before they get to our children."

What may seem like an inordinate amount of people responding to the bait set by undercover detectives is actually a pretty accurate indication of the growing number of children around the country being victimized by sex predators through the internet, said Mark Brutnell, special agent in charge for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement office in Tampa.

Targets Of Sex Predators

While sex predators once looked closer to home for children to victimize — including the children of family members, kids playing alone in a park or neighborhood, as well as youths targeted by baby-sitters and authority figures at churches, on sports teams, in Scouting organizations and at recreation centers — predators have discovered they can target children around the country simply by starting up a conversation with a child on a social media platform.

According to Rosemary Webb and Jennifer Mitchell, personal safety experts and co-presidents of Child Lures Prevention, the internet is now widely used to target uninformed and unsuspecting youngsters by luring them with flattery, attention and friendship.

"Lonely, neglected, confused and risk-taking adolescents are most vulnerable," Webb said. "The risk increases if they share intimate images of themselves or have inappropriate conversations."

While all children are vulnerable, Child Lures Prevention said about 50 percent are between the ages of 5 and 12 and 30 percent are beween ages 13 and 17.

According to Pew Research, 44 percent of children up to age 11 have access to gaming devices and desktop or laptop computers, 60 percent have access to smart phones and 67 percent have access to tablet computers. All of those devices let kids access the internet, and give sexual predators a way to contact children.

Profile Of A Sex Predator

While at least 90 percent of children are sexually abused by someone they know, Webb and Mitchell said the children's access to the internet has made it more convenient and safer for predators to target kids without getting caught.

Nevertheless, an overwhelming number of those caught are already known to law enforcement because they've had a prior conviction and are required to register as a sex offender or predators. According to SafeHome.org, 767,023 people were listed on state sex offender registries as of April 2022.

Texas leads the way with 99,160 registered sex offenders followed by California (59,886). Florida comes in seventh with 31,922 registered offenders.

According to the FBI, however, these figures are woefully low. The FBI estimates that only 10 to 40 percent of sex crimes are ever reported, which means there are millions of sex offenders living in the United States who have never been caught or convicted.

FDLE Agent In Charge Mark Brutnell, who worked with the Polk sheriff's office on this latest undercover operation as well as past operations, said it never fails to surprise him how upfront predators are about their intentions during chats with undercover detectives they believe are children.

"These investigations are different," Brutnell said. "They're different because of what the investigators are exposed to. The stuff they have to hear, see and read quite frankly is just disturbing. As a law enforcement office and as a parent, I'm very thankful that these fine men and women stand between our children and these individuals."

The internet allows predators to target children around the country.

"Their crimes have no jurisdictional boundaries," Brutnell said. "They think they can hide behind a computer screen or a smart phone."

Judd said those arrested in the February sting worked in a variety of jobs, some of which placed them in direct contact with children.

Among those arrested was Leo Cintron from Lakeland.

"He's an umpire for high school and college games and said he wants to be professional umpire," Judd said. "He traveled to meet a 13-year-old male he'd been grooming online. This is a nasty, nasty guy."

Judd said Kenneth Niedt, 59, of Seffner thought he was grooming a 13-year-old girl.

"He said ugly, vile things to what he thought was a 13-year-old," Judd said.

One arrest demonstrated how predators can slip between the cracks and obtain positions of authority despite their arrest histories.

Justin Sturtevant, 46, of Pueblo West, Colorado, is a corrections officer for the Colorado State Penitentiary at Cañon City, Judd said.

"He's thinking he's grooming a 14-year-old girl and emailing photos of his junk to her," Judd said.

When detectives looked further into Sturtevant's background, they discovered he had a criminal history that included assault and intimidations with arrests in 2005, 2009, 2019 and 2021. Judd said it's bewildering that the state of Colorado somehow missed those arrests, which Polk County detectives easily uncovered.

In all, the 30 people arrrested face 75 felony and 2 misdemeanor charges including traveling to meet a minor for sex, attempted lewd battery, use of a computer to seduce a child, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, transmission of material harmful to a child, sexual battery, burglary and failure to register as a sex offender.

Seven of those arrested sent sexually explicit images or videos to 13-, 14- or 15-year-old girls and a 13-year-old boy, who were actually undercover detectives.

In addition to the uncover sting, the sheriff's office special victims unit investigated two cases in which registered sexual predators actually made contact with children.

Among those arrested was 25-year-old Jose Armando of Davenport, Judd said.

On Feb. 13, detectives investigated a report of a 14-year-old girl who had been sexually battered. During the investigation, detectives learned that Armando had been communicating with the girl through Instagram and arranged to drive to the victim’s parents’ home.

He picked her up and drove her to his home, where he sexually battered the child, Judd said.

Another disturbing case led to the arrest of 28-year-old Zackery Childress of Lakeland.

On Feb. 15, detectives investigated a report of a 13-year-old girl who had been sexually battered by an adult. During the investigation, detectives learned that Childress had been communicating with the victim through SnapChat, according to Judd.

Childress drove to the victim’s parents’ home and entered the 13-year-old’s bedroom through the bedroom window where he sexually battered her, Judd said.

In an interview, detectives said Childress admitted he had two sexually transmitted diseases, but still had unprotected sex with the girl.

How To Protect Children

Judd said, once again, the ease in which these predators were able to contact children should be a warning to all parents to be "all up in their child’s business" when it comes to electronic devices that give them access to online gaming, mobile applications, texting or the internet.

"Check their devices regularly, and ensure parental controls are enabled to keep predators like these away from your kids," Judd said.

The U.S. Department of Justice advises parents to follow these steps to keep kids safe on the internet.

1. Discuss internet safety with children of all ages that are online. Many children do not realize that people may not be who they claim to be online. Similarly, many do not understand that someone who seems like a friend online could have a deviant motive.
2. Set limits around who your children are allowed to communicate with. You may consider limiting young children to communicating only with people you have personally met. For older children, you may consider limiting them to communicating only with people they have met in person.
3. Set limits around the kinds of devices and applications your children use. Online child sexual predators often use new technologies to avoid detection by law enforcement. If your child is using an application you have not heard of before, consider researching the application online or testing it out using your child’s account.
4. Use technology to protect them. Many devices and programs allow parents to set parameters around which applications children may use and for how long. Similarly, many of these programs allow parents to see what their children are doing while using those applications.
5. Pay attention to warning signs. Children who are sexually exploited are often embarrassed and hesitant to tell parents or other authority figures about their experiences. Pay attention if your child is withdrawing or changing their mood while their Internet activity increases.
6. Report suspected abuse. Reporting can help minimize or stop further victimization. If you believe your child has been sexually exploited online, contact the United States Attorney’s Office, your local FBI office or report online.

All convicted sex predators and offenders are required by Florida law to register their names, addresses, driver's license information, ages and physical descriptions with the state of Florida through the FDLE. This includes offenders who relocate to Florida from other states.

Parents can check the FDLE website to see if any offenders are living nearby.

Keep in mind, the website includes those convicted of sexual offenses that don't involve children as well as those convicted of offenses who are required to register but never offend again, so residents should not harass or persecute those listed, said the FDLE. If parents have a concern, they should first contact their police department or sheriff's office.

Parents can check to see convictions by inserting the name of the county they're interested in checking into the FDLE website page and then hit "search" at the bottom of the page. A list of those convicted with their mug shots will appear. Parents can then click on the "View Flyer" next to the mugshot to see details of the person's conviction.

Currently, the FDLE have the following numbers of sex offenders and predators registered in each county:

• Polk County: 1,237
• Miami-Dade County: 1,973
• Hillsborough County: 2,072
• Pasco County: 962
• Pinellas County: 1,716
• Orange County: 2,795
• Sarasota County: 512
• Manatee County: 488
• Palm Beach County: 1,126
• Lee County: 988
• Duval County: 2,309
• Escambia County: 1,036
• Broward County: 1,348

Parents can also search for predators and offenders by city or ZIP code:

• Tampa: 1241
• Miami: 1,307
• Fort Lauderdale: 652
• Fort Myers: 338
• Sarasota: 288
• Bradenton: 309
• New Port Richey: 188
• Lakeland: 499
• St. Petersburg: 753
• Clearwater: 426
• Dunedin: 32
• Jacksonville: 2,272
• Orlando: 2,363
• Pensacola: 894

Also Arrested

Others arrested or have warrants for their arrest following Operation Child Predator III are:

• Steven Hubbard, 40, of Ocala, a carnival ride operator, accused of sending sexually explicit images to the detective as well as instigating sexually explicit conversations.
• Richard Kwolek, 55, of Barefoot Bay, Florida, accused of sending sexually explicit images to the detective as well as instigating sexually explicit conversations.
• Thomas McIntyre, 37, of Lakeland, accused of sending a sexually explicit video and several audio files to the detective as well as instigating sexually explicit conversations.
• Samuel Zoellner, 26, of St. Petersburg, who sells protein powders online, and has a prior conviction for a sex offense with a minor in Michigan.
• Bradley Hines, 35, of Pinellas Park, accused of sending several sexually explicit images to the detective as well as instigating sexually explicit conversations.
• Kevyn Baker, 24, of Mulberry, who has a criminal history that includes a sexual assault of a 15-year-old.
• Brian Bowne, 48, of Lakeland, who has a criminal history that includes sexual assault of a 15-year-old.
• Rickardo Brown, 28, of Lakeland, who has a criminal history that includes false imprisonment of a 16-year-old with sexual intent.
• John Burgess, 47, of Winter Haven, who has a criminal history that includes sexual assault of a child under 16 years old.
• Damien Clark, 29, of Winter Haven who has a criminal history that includes a South Carolina conviction for sexual exploitation of a minor.
• Dana Chiasson, 59, of Auburndale, who has a criminal history that includes a New York conviction for sodomy of a child under 12 years old.
• Patricia Colbert, 68, of Lakeland, who has a criminal history that includes lewd and lascivious acts against a child under 16 years old.
• Russell Crousore 59, of Winter Haven, who has a criminal history that includes a Nevada conviction for open and gross lewdness against a 13-year-old child.
• Jim Davari, 72, of Lakeland, owner of Canine Command, where he boards and trains dogs for customers. He has a criminal history that includes lewd or lascivious molestation against a child between the ages of 12 and 15.
• Wayne Estey, 53, of Lakeland, who was on probation for failing to comply with sexual offender registration requirements. His history includes a conviction in New Jersey for criminal sexual contact with two juveniles.
• Richard Gunter, 42, of Hollywood, for six counts of video voyeurism and failing to register as a sexual offender after a conviction of lewd and lascivious sexual battery with a weapon against a child under 16 years old.
• Gerald Kelly, 76, of Lakeland, who has a criminal history that includes lewd and lascivious acts against a child under 16 years old.
• Michael Levieux, 54, of Lakeland, who has an Illinois conviction of criminal sexual assault against a 6-year-old.
• Donald McIntyre, 48, of Lakeland, who was on probation for attempted indecent assault of a child under 16 years old. His criminal history includes sexual battery against a victim under 12 years old and lewd and lascivious acts against a child under 16 years old.
• David Rodgers, 38, of Lakeland, who has a criminal history that includes an Alabama conviction for rape of a 15-year-old.
• Carol Rood, 59, of Lakeland, who has a criminal history for lewd and lascivious acts against a child under 16 years old.
• Jose Sosa, 37, of Lakeland, who has a criminal history for false imprisonment, sexual battery of a child under 13 years old and previous failure to comply with sex predator registration requirements.
• Johnny Taylor, 42, of Winter Haven, who has a criminal history that includes lewd and lascivious acts against a child under 12 years old.
• Theodore Thorner, 47, of Lakeland, who has a criminal history that includes use of a computer for sex with a minor.
• James Warren, 42, of Lakeland, who has a criminal history that includes sexual battery and lewd and lascivious acts against a child under 16 years old.
• Johnathan Whitfield, 54, of Polk County, who has a criminal history that includes sexual battery against a victim under 12 years old and lewd and lascivious acts against a child under 16 years old.
• Albert Wright, 46, of Winter Haven, who has a criminal history that includes sexual battery.
• Johnny Clark, 49, of Lakeland who has a criminal history the includes lewd and lascivious acts against a child under 16 years old.
• Alexis Diaz-Toledo, 27, of Lake Wales, who has a criminal history that includes lewd and lascivious acts against a child between the ages of 12 and 15 and lewd and lascivious acts against a child under 16 years old.
• Todd Johnson, 54, address unknown, who has a criminal history that includes producing, directing or promoting sexual performance by a child.
• Shane Malpass, 29, of Lakeland, whose criminal history includes lewd and lascivious acts against a child under 18 years old.
• Terrell Timmerman, 66, of Lakeland, whose criminal history includes a Michigan conviction from criminal sexual conduct with a child between the ages of 13 and 15.

Judd notes that the Polk sheriff's office conducts an in-person check with all the county's registered sex predators and offenders every quarter to ensure they are in compliance with Florida’s sexual offender and predator registration laws while the state requires a check at least once a year.