Craigslist sex predator sting in Florida results in 15 arrests
FIFTEEN Florida men were facing charges today following a weekend sex predator sting involving young girls advertised on Craigslist.
Police posed as parents seeking to pimp out their children through ads on the online classified listings site, Orlando's WFTV-TV said.
After exchanging hundreds of emails, chats and phone calls, face-to-face meetings were arranged with men that responded.
Some suspects reportedly brought lollies and condoms to a house where they expected to have sex with little girls, ranging from eight to 14 years old. They were surprised to instead find undercover detectives, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd told the station.
The sheriff told WFTV the four-day sting, which started on Thursday, prevented at least 15 children from sexual abuse.
"This group of folks were absolutely as disgusting as any we have ever arrested," Sheriff Judd said.
"Some downloaded nude pictures of themselves. Some talked exceptionally graphically about what they wanted to do. They talked graphically about how they wanted the girls to dress. They talked graphically about how they wanted to interact, sometimes with (mum) and very young daughter, or aunt and very young daughter."
A man recognised by a sergeant as his son's little league coach and a JetBlue employee were among the suspects, age 18 to 67, charged with travelling to meet a minor for sex (or similar crimes).
One of the arrested, Ray Damon of Dunedin, said investigators misread his intentions.
"I never said I was going to do anything with or to the daughter. I told the woman what she wanted to hear so she would invite me here because I wanted to hook up with her (mum). But I didn't say was going to do anything to the daughter in specifics, or with her or anything."
Six of the men were married, some with children, Sheriff Judd said at the news conference.
When approached by authorities, Sheriff Judd said one of the men's wives stated, "He can rot in hell before I'll bond him out of jail. I never want to see him again. I never want him to see our children again. I hope he stays in prison forever."
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