Florida State Police say there was a sting operation. captured 27 men They allegedly attempted to have sex with the children.
Among the suspects arrested was a former Boston Red Sox pitcher.
Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters announced details of the five-day Operation Valiant Night during a media briefing Monday.
“The Internet provides new and terrifying opportunities for predators to victimize children.”
“Undercover agents posing as children were chatting with these adults online,” Waters said. “These adults were soliciting sex, pretending to be minors, and having sex at pre-determined locations.” He promised to do so.”
In most cases, the men were led to believe that they were talking to 14-year-old girls on the internet.
They were arrested immediately after arriving to engage in sex acts with minors, police said. Mr Waters said 24 men were initially arrested and three more were arrested during the subsequent investigation.
A video released by police shows the moment former Major League Baseball player Austin Maddox is apprehended by police as he walks home with the intention of having sex with a child.
Maddox played at the University of Florida; drafted Acquired from the Boston Red Sox in 2012. He played with the team in 2017 and was released in 2019. He was charged with four felonies and held in jail on $300,000 bail.
The other men arrested were between the ages of 19 and 69, police said.
“As you can see from these photos, these men range in age, background, and ethnicity,” Waters said at a media briefing.
One man, Matthew Moses, believed he was talking to his stepmother to allow him to have sex with his stepdaughter. Another man, 69-year-old Christopher Brand, was also arrested on suspicion of attempting to solicit sex from a 14-year-old boy.
Also arrested were a Mayo Clinic respiratory therapist and a former Duval County Public School District janitor.
Maddox’s attorney said the man intends to fight the charges and plead not guilty.
“JSO and our partners have the safety and security of children as our top priority,” Waters said.
“The Internet provides predators with new and terrifying opportunities to victimize children, and our investigators, along with those from our partner agencies, are working to protect children before they have the opportunity to engage in sexual perversion. “We will continue to aggressively identify and arrest those who loot,” he added.
Details of the sting operation are as follows:
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