Osceola County Undercover Sex Sting Results in the Arrest of Five Men

An undercover operation in Osceola County resulted in the arrest of five men for soliciting sex from a child via the Internet.

Deputies claim that the men also face other various sex- and drug-related crimes.

For this operation, detectives posed as juveniles, or the parent or guardian of a juvenile, and spoke with individuals in chat rooms and instant messaging programs on the Internet.

Police allege the suspects travelled to a designated meeting location located in Osceola County for the purpose of having sex with a child.

The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office worked in connection with the Central Florida Internet Crimes Against Children with the assistance of the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the Orlando Police Department, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Petersburg Police Department, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.

The five men arrested are facing charges related to travelling to meet a child for sex, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting arrest without violence, possession of a controlled substance with a prescription, possession with intent to deliver and unauthorized use of a computer — solicitation of a minor.

A sting operation can be defined as a deceptive tactic where police or investigators pose as decoys in an attempt to catch people they suspect have committed a crime or will commit a crime in the future. Undercover sex crime stings must be conducted carefully in order to avoid entrapment, which is a defense strategy that can be applied for the accused that claims the person would not have committed a crime if he or she had not been tricked into doing so.

With the anonymity of the internet, people can easily say and do things they would not actually ever say or do in person. However, it is important to note that the person on the other side of the online conversation has that same obscurity. If you or someone you care for has been arrested in an undercover Internet sex sting, or if you feel that you were a possible victim of entrapment, an Osceola County Internet Solicitation Defense Lawyer at Whittel & Melton can help with your defense. Call us today statewide and toll-free at 866-608-5529 or contact us online.