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Dozens arrested in Florida child predator operation
More than 50 people were arrested during an undercover operation targeting child sex predators in Marion County, according to the Sheriff's Office. The six-day operation, dubbed "Operation Bad Habits," was conducted with multiple local, state and federal agencies.
MARION COUNTY, Fla. - More than 50 people were arrested during an undercover operation targeting child sex predators in Marion County, according to the Sheriff's Office.
The six-day operation, dubbed "Operation Bad Habits," was conducted with multiple local, state and federal agencies.
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The sheriff's office held a news conference Wednesday, sharing more details about the operation.
Officials said the suspects would arrange to meet up with individuals who they thought were children, but they were actually soliciting detectives posing as children between the ages of 7 and 15.
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Fifty-eight people were arrested in the operation, according to officials. Several of them were charged with human trafficking for trying to "purchase" children for sex.
One suspect, Wyatt Bernstein, was identified as a youth football coach. Investigators said he was trying to meet up with a 15-year-old boy.
Another suspect was identified as John Goodman. Investigators said he was trying to meet up with a 7-year-old child for sex.
Investigators said another suspect, Matthew Szilagyi, tried to meet up with a 14-year-old girl at the Marion County Jail.
Matthew Szilagyi was arrested during an undercover sting operation in Marion County. (Credit: Marion County Sheriff's Office)
"We caught illegals, we caught legals, immigrants, fathers, coaches, husbands, and even a student," Wood said.
Woods was joined by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass, and Florida Highway Patrol colonel Gary Howze at the news conference.
Who was arrested?
Jesus Santiago Colon, 30
- Use of a Computer to Seduce/Solicit Lure Child
- Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device
Adriana Ilao Orpilla, 22
- Travel to Meet After Use of a Computer to Lure a Minor
- Use of a Computer to Seduce/Solicit Lure Child
- Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device
Nickolas Hester, 28
- Travel to Meet After Use of a Computer to Lure a Minor
- Use of a Computer to Seduce/Solicit Lure Child
- Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device
Dylan Frantz, 38
- Travel to Meet After Use of a Computer to Lure a Minor
- Use of a Computer to Seduce/Solicit Lure Child
- Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device
- Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor
- Posession of Marijuana (Under 20 grams)
David Robinson, 64
- Probation Violation x2
- Use of a Computer to Solicit Parent/Guardian Consent
- Use of a Two-Way Communication Device to Facilitate Felony
Jose Ortiz Garcia, 55
- Probation Violation
- Use of a Computer to Solicit Parent/Guardian Consent
- Travel to Meet After Use of a Computer to Solicit Parent/Guardian Consent
William Meister, 36
- Cocaine Possession
- Travel to Meet After Use of a Computer to Lure a Minor
- Use of a Computer to Seduce/Solicit Lure Child
- Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device
Matthew Szilagyi, 29
- Travel to Meet After Use of a Computer to Lure a Minor
- Use of a Computer to Seduce/Solicit Lure Child
Collin Beegle, 27
- Travel to Meet After Use of a Computer to Lure a Minor
- Use of a Computer to Seduce/Solicit Lure Child
- Use of a Two-Way Communication Device to Facilitate Felony
Rafael Romero Chavez, 33
- Travel to Meet After Use of a Computer to Lure a Minor
- Use of a Computer to Seduce/Solicit Lure Child
David Smith, 22
- Use of a Computer to Seduce/Solicit Lure Child x2
- Kidnapping x 2
- Travel to Meet After Use of a Computer to Lure a Minor
- Use of a Two-Way Communication Device to Facilitate Felony
Micky Barber, 29
- Use of a Computer to Seduce/Solicit Lure Child x2
- Use of a Two-Way Communication Device to Facilitate Felony
- Kidnapping x2
- Transmit Info Harmful to Minors
Wyatt Bernstein, 27
- Use of a Computer to Solicit Parent/Guardian Consent
- Use of a Two-Way Communication Device to Facilitate Felony
Michael Vitoff,
- Attempted Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity
Orrin Armstead, 37
- Travel to Meet After Use of a Computer to Lure a Minor
- Use of a Computer to Seduce/Solicit Lure Child
- Use of a Two-Way Communication Device to Facilitate Felony
Jorge Alva Collazos, 44
- Engage in Human Trafficking Labor or Service Less than 18 Years Old
- Travel to Meet After Use of a Computer to Lure a Minor
- Use of a Computer to Seduce/Solicit Lure Child
- Use of a Two-Way Communication Device to Facilitate Felony
Christopher Coulter, 31
- Travel to Meet After Use of a Computer to Lure a Minor
- Use of a Computer to Seduce/Solicit Lure Child
- Obstruction without Violence
Brian McVicker, 65
- Travel to Meet After Use of a Computer to Lure a Minor
- Use of a Computer to Seduce/Solicit Lure Child
- Use of a Two-Way Communication Device to Facilitate Felony
Matthew White, 40
- Travel to Meet After Use of a Computer to Lure a Minor
- Use of a Computer to Seduce/Solicit Lure Child
- Use of a Two-Way Communication Device to Facilitate Felony
- Transmit Info Harmful to Minors
Timothy Lawson, 56
- Travel to Meet After Use of a Computer to Lure a Minor
- Use of a Computer to Seduce/Solicit Lure Child
- Use of a Two-Way Communication Device to Facilitate Felony
Chad Bouwens, 32
- Travel to Meet After Use of a Computer to Lure a Minor
- Use of a Computer to Seduce/Solicit Lure Child
- Use of a Two-Way Communication Device to Facilitate Felony
- Use or Display of a Weapon During a Felony
Shannon Scarberry, 43
- Travel to Meet After Use of a Computer to Lure a Minor
- Use of a Computer to Seduce/Solicit Lure Child
- Use of a Two-Way Communication Device to Facilitate Felony
- Obstruction without Violence
Andrew Ruch, 32
- Travel to Meet After Use of a Computer to Lure a Minor
- Use of a Computer to Seduce/Solicit Lure Child
- Use of a Two-Way Communication Device to Facilitate Felony
Travian Sesler, 28
- Travel to Meet After Use of a Computer to Lure a Minor
- Use of a Computer to Seduce/Solicit Lure Child
- Use of a Two-Way Communication Device to Facilitate Felony
Cody Luft, 32
- Travel to Meet After Use of a Computer to Lure a Minor
- Use of a Computer to Seduce/Solicit Lure Child
- Use of a Two-Way Communication Device to Facilitate Felony
Alexis Lara Guardado, 25
- Travel to Meet After Use of a Computer to Lure a Minor
- Use of a Computer to Seduce/Solicit Lure Child
- Use of a Two-Way Communication Device to Facilitate Felony
- Transmit Harmful Info to Minors
Joshua Head, 36
- Use of computer to seduce solicit lure child
- Transmit info harmful to minors
- Use of two way communication device to facilitate felony
Jeremiah Johnson, 26
- Use of computer to seduce solicit lure child
- Transmit info harmful to minors
- Travel to meet after use of computer to lure child
Philip Stutsman, 48
- Use of computer to seduce solicit lure child
- Use of two way communication device to facilitate felony
Brian Verka
- Attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity
Waseem Dilshad, 37
- Travel to meet after use of computer to lure child
- Use of computer to seduce solicit lure child misrepresent age
- Use of two way communication device to facilitate felony
John Leininger, 60
- Use of computer to seduce solicit lure child
- Use of two way communication device to facilitate felony
- Engage in human trafficking labor or service child less than 18 YOA
Kadyn Russell, 21
- Use of two way communication device to facilitate felony
- Transmit info harmful to minors
- Use of computer to seduce solicit lure child
Timothy Templeton, 48
- Use of computer to seduce solicit lure child
- Travel to meet after use of computer to lure child
- Use of two way communication device to facilitate felony
Dalton Tyler, 28
- Use of computer to seduce solicit lure child
- Use of two way communication device to facilitate felony
- Travel to meet after use of computer to lure child
- Contributing to the delinquency of a minor
- Marijuana possession (not more than 20 grams)
Robert Fam, 30
- Use of two way communication device to facilitate felony
- Travel to meet after use of computer to lure child
- Use of computer to seduce solicit lure child
Jesus Padilla, 39
- Use of computer to seduce solicit lure child
- Travel to meet use of computer solicit guardian
- Engage in human trafficking labor or service child less than 18 YOA
- Use of two way communication device to facilitate felony
Payton Sims, 23
- Use of computer to seduce solicit lure child
- Use of two way communication device to facilitate felony
- Travel to meet after use of computer to lure child
Ashay Shakes, 31
- Travel to meet after use of computer to lure child
- Use of computer to seduce solicit lure child
- Use of two way communication device to facilitate felony
Israel Rosario, 35
- Use of computer to seduce solicit lure child
- Use of two way communication device to facilitate felony
- Travel to meet after use of computer to lure child
Eric Morin, 34
- Use of computer to seduce solicit lure child
- Transmit info harmful to minors
- Use of two way communication device to facilitate felony
- Use of computer to solicit parent guardian consent x4
- Travel to meet use of computer solicit guardian
Sebastian Diaz Ortiz, 28
- Travel to meet after use of computer to lure child
- Use of computer to seduce solicit lure child
- Use of two way communication device to facilitate felony
Jose Navarro, 44
- Use of computer to seduce solicit lure child
- Travel to meet after use of computer to lure child
- Use of two way communication device to facilitate felony
- Obstruction without violence
Roosevelt Beasley, 51
- Use of computer to seduce solicit lure child misrepresent age
- Use of two way communication device to facilitate felony
- Travel to meet after use of computer to lure child
John Goodman, 53
- Use of computer to solicit parent guardian consent
- Travel to meet use of computer solicit guardian
- Use of two way communication device to facilitate felony
- Obstruction of evidence
Robert Mixon, 30
- Use of computer to seduce solicit lure child
- Travel to meet after use of computer to lure child
- Use of two way communication device to facilitate felony
Patrick Haan, 26
- Use of computer to seduce solicit lure child
- Travel to meet after use of computer to lure child
- Use of two way communication device to facilitate felony
- Transmit info harmful to minors
Kingston McAllister, 16
- Use of computer to solicit parent guardian consent
- Use of two way communication device to facilitate felony
Carl Allsop, 46
- Engage in human trafficking labor or service child less than 18 YOA
- Travel to meet after use of computer to lure child
Jordan Richmond, 47
- Use of computer to solicit parent guardian consent
- Travel to meet after use of computer to lure child
- Use of two way communication device to facilitate felony
Savian Eiland, 20
- Use of computer to seduce solicit lure child
- Use of two way communication device to facilitate felony
- Travel to meet after use of computer to lure child
Kameron Works, 31
- Use of computer to seduce solicit lure child
- Travel to meet after use of computer to lure child
- Use of two way communication device to facilitate felony
- Moving traffic violation
The Source: This story was written with information released by the Marion County Sheriff's Office.