An undercover sex sting conducted by Volusia County deputies ended on Sept. 6 with the arrest of 15 local men who are accused of showing up to meeting locations in Deltona, Florida intending to have sex with minors.
Among those arrested was a high school teacher’s aide, who along with 14 others, allegedly showed up at Deltona locations where they were arrested by waiting sheriff’s deputies who claim they were expecting to exploit children.
The teacher’s aide is accused of chatting with an undercover officer online posing as a father offering his sons, 11 and 14, for sex.
Following his arrest, the man was put on paid leave, but according to MSNBC.com, the man has since resigned from his job after a meeting with school officials. He supposedly has been a teacher’s aide at the high school since its opening last year, but previously worked as a special needs teacher’s aide since 2005.
According to authorities, the man was ordered by school officials in 2007 to get counseling because he was apparently not respecting student’s personal space. In February 2010, allegations arose that he physically abused a student, but those were dropped because the accusation was not substantiated.
In October 2010, deputies claim the man was reprimanded through a letter for allegedly bringing pornography onto school grounds through his flash drive. The alleged pornography was found by a student who stole the man’s flash drive. The school said he was not punished further because he did not download and view pornography on campus.
Undercover Internet sex stings are just one type of sex sting operations produced by law enforcement officials that occur every day throughout the country. These traps put all types of people at risk, from famous individuals to ordinary citizens, and no one is safe from being snared. It is important to be extremely cautious when navigating public Internet web sites. Many people think their privacy rights are protected, but that should never be assumed. Likewise, police do not have to tell the truth. Simply engaging in a sexually explicit chat with someone you believe to be a minor can be construed as a crime.
Prosecutors take internet solicitation offenses quite seriously. It has been made clear that the government consistently will take the position that undercover officials who merely pose as minors or parents of minors online is not entrapment. For every sexual solicitation made, you could face a third degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison. If a sexual solicitation transgresses into an actual meeting, the charges escalate extensively. Any time an adult travels any distance to meet a minor expecting sex, it is considered by Florida legislature to be a second degree felony that is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
The goal of all undercover sex traps is to catch sexual predators and sex offenders; however these usually result in the arrest of individuals who happen to be curiously surfing through chat rooms and web sites that get tricked into conversations that could be construed as a form of internet solicitation. If you think an undercover officer has targeted you online, you need to contact the skilled Sex Crimes Defense Attorneys at Whittel & Melton right away. If you have been contacted by law enforcement officials it is vital that you do not surrender your computer or agree to a search of your home without consulting an experienced criminal defense attorney. You should never speak to any law agent without having an attorney present because police are well-versed in deception. By delaying contacting us, you could jeopardize your freedom.
If you have a pending sex crime charge or if you think you could experience arrest soon for charges erupting from an online sex trap in Daytona Beach, Orlando or throughout the state of Florida, contact the Florida Sex Crimes Defense Attorneys at Whittel & Melton online or call our Orlando office toll-free at 866-608-5529.