While speaking at a press conference at the Osceola County Sheriff's Office this week, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the arrest of 21 child predators as part of "Operation Cooked," an undercover child exploitation sting.
“In Florida, there will be no mercy for the merciless,” Uthmeier said in a statement. “Twenty-one more predators went looking for a child and found handcuffs. If anyone tries to prey on kids in this state, we will find you, arrest you, and put you behind bars.”
According to Uthmeier, the investigation began after undercover detectives posted as 13- and 14-year-old children and as parents offering up their children to the accused defendants, who knew their ages. The defendants, ranging from 22 to 64 years old, then drove to meet who they believed to be children before being arrested by police in Kissimmee.
20 were arrested on charges for traveling to meet a minor for sex, a second-degree felony.
They face up to 15 years in prison if convicted. Of the defendants, four were illegal aliens from Venezuela, Honduras, Mexico, and Ecuador – with the Venezuelan national under a previous removal order.
Another four were from out of state.
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, alongside the Central Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and other agencies coordinated in the sting.
The following were charged.
Abraham Jacob Zamora - Unlawful travel to meet a minor (parent) for unlawful sexual conduct
Leslie Augustus Anderson - Traveling to meet a minor for unlawful sexual conduct and attempted lewd or lascivious battery of a child under 16
Jaquaun Akeem Rhodan - Traveling to meet a minor for unlawful sexual conduct and attempted lewd or lascivious battery of a child under 16
Thomas George Walsh - Traveling to meet a minor for unlawful sexual conduct, attempted lewd and lascivious battery of a child under 16, solicitation of a child for unlawful sexual conduct, and unlawful use of a two-way communications device
Walter Heger - Traveling to meet a minor for unlawful sexual conduct, solicitation of a child for unlawful sexual conduct, and unlawful use of a Two-way communications device
Charles Victor Morgan - Solicitation of a child for unlawful sexual conduct and unlawful use of a two-way communications device
