A Florida man was arrested after chatting with an undercover detective posing as a 12-year-old girl.
36-year-old Kyle Mullen, of Jacksonville, was recently taken into custody at his home this month, and booked into the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office detention facility before being extradited to Polk County. He was one of the suspects charged via warrant during “Operation Fool Around and Find Out – Again / Operation Child Protector VII” in Polk County in Central Florida.
During the investigation, which ran in September, Mullen chatted online with an undercover detective posing as a 12-year-old girl. During the conversation, Mullen made the following statements: “Grady f***ing Judd” and “F*** Polk County, I got arrested there like 2 months ago.”
Detectives confirmed he was arrested in Davenport on July 2nd after being found sitting in a truck behind a closed Auto Zone, and charged with possession of meth and paraphernalia. He was released the following day after posting bond, according to PCSO.
According to law enforcement, Mullen told the UC that he would drive 200 MPH to come see the girl in Polk County, and he also sent her a nude photo.
Detectives obtained a warrant for his arrest for transmission of material harmful to a minor and use of a two-way communication device in commission of a felony.
The U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force successfully located Mullen and took him into custody without incident.
“Child predators like Kyle Mullen, who groom children online for the purpose of sexually abusing them, don’t stop until they are caught – which is why our investigations don’t stop until we catch them,” said Sheriff Grady Judd. “If you prey on a child in our county, we will do everything in our power to identify you, charge you, and take you into custody.”
