Police in Marion County, Florida, USA, have arrested 12 men who were using the Internet to sexually exploit children. According to the Marion County Sheriff's Office, the 12 defendants were caught chatting online with users they believed were children. However, the suspects were actually talking to undercover detectives.
The men arrested are 18-year-old Allen Vasquez, Donald Dziadyk and Brayant McCullough, 21-year-old Robin Strickland and Ryan Boyette, 51-year-old Lonny Blankenship and Robert Salch, and 31-year-old Robert Hilse, Jason Sciongay, Dunte Campbell, Koree Lee, and Jorge Cruz Ordonez.
Four of them allegedly sent sexually explicit photos during online conversations. In addition, eight of the twelve allegedly arranged to meet and have sex with the child, whom they thought they were talking to online.
As Infosecurity Magazine, the eight men traveled to a location in Marion County, thinking they were going to meet with minors .However, when they arrived at the agreed-upon meeting point, the defendants encountered no children, but police officers, and were arrested.
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods is advising parents to be aware of what their children are doing and saying when they are online. Woods said: “My message to parents is this: You need to be aware of where your children are talking when they are online. Be aware of social media , because all of these people are targeting your children and this is not the first time they have done this and it is not the last time they have done this.”
Woods also issued a warning to those who intend to use the Internet as a tool for child sexual exploitation, stating the following: “To the would-be, evil people who commit this crime and are looking for children in Marion County, rest assured that I will find you, I will handcuff you, and you will be in jail . My associates will spend hours chasing you. Now, my job is bringing people to justice, but if it were my choice, I would bury you under the jail if I could. Do not come to Marion County.”
