Massive Florida child predator sting nets nearly 50 arrests, including seven facing federal deportation
By lauraharris // 2025-08-16
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  • Florida and federal authorities arrested 49 suspected child predators in the largest bust of its kind, targeting online exploitation of minors.
  • Seven of those arrested are under ICE detainment, with potential federal custody and deportation proceedings pending.
  • Predators primarily used platforms like Snapchat, gaming and chat apps to contact undercover officers posing as minors.
  • The sting resulted in 153 felony charges, including 34 for traveling to meet a minor, 48 for online solicitation and five for human trafficking.
  • Officials praised the operation's success but warned that predator numbers continue to rise, urging parents to stay vigilant about their children's online activity.
Florida and federal authorities have arrested nearly 50 suspected child predators in the largest bust of its kind in the operation's history. According to a press release from the Florida Attorney General's office, the multi-agency operation led to the arrest of 49 individuals attempting to engage in illicit activities with minors. Seven of those arrested are currently under Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainment, with federal custody and possible deportation proceedings pending. The sting relied heavily on digital surveillance and undercover tactics, with law enforcement officers posing as minors online. A major focus of the operation was the social media platform Snapchat, which, along with other chat and gaming apps, was used by predators to target minors, who were undercover officers posing as children. (Related: ICE Boston arrests three illegal immigrants suspected as child predators.) The coordinated sting targeted online exploitation of children and resulted in 153 felony charges, with 34 counts of Traveling to Meet a Minor for Illegal Sexual Conduct, 48 counts of Using a Computer to Solicit a Child for Sexual Conduct, 14 counts of Transmitting Material Harmful to a Minor and five counts of Human Trafficking. "To go after young kids, there is no defense, there is no justification, there is no excuse," Attorney General James Uthmeier said. "It will not happen. It cannot happen in Florida, and we will work every day to make sure that we are getting every single one of these guys off the streets. When I took the oath of office six months ago, I told my team [that] going after child predators is priority one. We've got about 1,000 priorities, but it's priority one," he added, affirming the operation's ongoing nature.

Law enforcement officials: Fight is far from over

Law enforcement leaders are praising the success of the undercover operation, but warn that the fight is far from over. Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods, whose office played a key role in the sting, offered both praise and caution. "My office routinely conducts these types of operations," Woods said. "With each operation, we catch more and more. The number of offenders only goes up." Sheriff Woods stressed the critical role parents must play in combating online exploitation, urging vigilance at home. "Parents, we will never arrest every single one of them. You have to know what your child is doing online, and children have to know what dangers are lurking online. As a sheriff and as a father, I understand the anger and disgust a parent has towards these types of individuals. I assure you that we will continue to attack this plague head on." State Attorney for Florida's Fifth Judicial Circuit, Bill Gladson, also praised the coordinated effort, which resulted in dozens of predators being taken off the streets of Central Florida. "I had the privilege of being able to see this operation firsthand, and it was nothing short of remarkable," Gladson said. "Sheriff Woods and his deputies did an outstanding job catching and removing 40 predators from the Central Florida community. A special thank you to Attorney General James Uthmeier and the Office of Statewide Prosecution for their commitment to keeping our community safe." Head over to Evil.news for stories on child predators online. Watch this Russia Today report about the EU ambassador to Madagascar being expelled after criticizing the African nation's surgical castration law for child abusers.
This video is from the Tilt channel on Brighteon.com.

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Sources include: LifeSiteNews.com MyFloridaLegal.com Brighteon.com
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