The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) has announced the arrests of 89 individuals in a multi-week human trafficking operation resulting in more than 1,200 felony charges.
According to HCSO, HCSO’s Human Trafficking Section and Internet Predator Unit underwent operations targeting individuals for allegedly sexually exploiting children and purchasing sex between Jan. 1, 2026, and Feb. 6, 2026.
Specifically, undercover detectives arrested the alleged perpetrators after communicating with those they believed to be underage victims. Some suspects would also negotiate prices and logistics with someone they thought was willing to sell a child.
“If you are using a hotel room, a chat app, or a fake profile to pursue a child, we are there,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister wrote in a release. “Our detectives will follow the digital trail all the way to your door.”
The arrests included a 41-year-old math teacher at Hillsborough High School. According to HCSO, Stephen Fabic was arrested for allegedly offering to pick up someone he believed was a minor and bring them back to his home after conversations to engage in sexual activity.
In another instance, 69-year-old John Altieri arranged for a ride share to pick up someone he believed was a minor and bring them to his residence to allegedly perform sexual acts. Altieier was instead allegedly sending explicit messages and videos to an undercover detective.
Altieri was on home confinement while on probation in Hernando County for two counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance at the time. He was later arrested on a warrant by law enforcement officials.
“In every instance, they were communicating with law enforcement and arranging their own arrest,” Chronister added.
In addition, the operation included two victims, a two-year-old and a 17-year-old girl, being saved from child exploitation. The alleged perpetrators, 42-year-old Peter Torres and 23-year-old Armani Hopkins, were arrested in each respective case.
HCSO's operation follows several human trafficking busts led by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, including that of a Hillsborough man earlier this month. Uthmeier also announced the arrest of a Florida man in Virginia on human trafficking charges in December.
