Forty-one suspects have been arrested in what has been described as the largest Internet child sex sting operation, Polk County deputies said.
An electrician; a student; an insurance salesman; a bank teller; a handyman; an AV technician; a file clerk; a painter; mechanics; theme park employees; a law enforcement academy graduate; an IT phone technician; laborers; a youth football coach; a photo lab technician, a heavy machine operator; a tax preparer; a hospital accountant; a wall-paper installer and a senior partner in a CPA firm – all wanted to have sex with a child – all were arrested and booked into the Polk County Jail.
In an undisclosed location in Polk County, beginning on Saturday, June 8, through Saturday, June 15, 2013, Polk County Sheriff’s Office detectives, along with detectives and investigators from 11 other local, state and federal agencies, conducted a week long undercover investigation targeting online child predators and arrested 41 suspects.
In the largest undercover operation of its kind, the 40 males and one female suspects face a total of 180 charges which range from: Attempted Lewd Battery, Lewd and Lascivious Battery, Unlawful use of a Two-Way Communication Device, Seduce/Solicit/Entice to commit in Sexual Act, Traveling to Meet Minor, Drug Possession, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Traveling to Meet/Use Computer to Solicit Guardian, Transmission of Harmful Material to Minor, to Procuring Minor for Prostitution, and Resisting Arrest without Violence.
The suspects traveled from all across central Florida -13 suspects were from Polk County. Polk County suspects traveled from Bartow, Winter Haven, Wahneta, Davenport, Haines City, Lakeland, and Lake Wales. Other central Florida locations suspects traveled from were:
Some of the notable cases were:
On Saturday, June 8, 2013, the first day of the investigation, PCSO detectives arrested 54-year-old David C, Ullman, of S. Highland Park Drive, Lake Wales, charging him with Attempted Lewd Battery; Unlawful use of Two-Way Communication Device; Seduce Solicit Entice to commit in Sexual Act, and Traveling to Meet Minor. Ullman contacted an undercover detective who was posing as 14-year-old female, saying he was a 49-year-old male who wanted to teach her about sensual massage, ultimately soliciting the detective for oral sex. Ullman brought condoms. Ullman is a senior tax partner with Bunting, Tripp and Ingley in Lake Wales, is a certified public accountant and attorney.
46-year-old James Walker, of Shady Oak Loop, Davenport, a costumer’s assistant at Disney World, traveled to the undercover location to have sexual intercourse with who he believed to be a 15 year old male. During the conversation, Walker said he had to be careful what he said because he knew his activity was illegal. Walker was charged with Attempted Lewd Battery, Seduce/Solicit/Entice to commit in Sexual Act, and Traveling to Meet Minor (2 counts).
24-year-old Jose Aguilar, of Alderman Road, Bowling Green, arrived at the undercover location to have sexual intercourse with who he believed to be a 14-year-old female. While chatting online, Aguilar told the undercover detective he received sexual gratification while watching child pornography and that he has “always fantasized about being with someone” 14 years old. Aguilar stated he views child pornography for sexual gratification. Detectives located a gun under the passenger seat of Aguilar’s vehicle.
49-year-old Ignacio Alvarado of S Conway Road, Orlando, is an electrician who works for a company under contract to the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. He has full clearance to the Orlando Airport where he is assigned. Alvarado drove to the undercover location to have sex with a 14-year-old female after an online conversation in which he encouraged the UC, whom he thought was a young girl, to masturbate and describe the act in detail to him.
29-year-old Shane Alan Christopher, of Coyote Trail, Orlando, told detectives he was a full-time student at Valencia College. Christopher responded to an add offering young girls. Christopher arranged to pay $125 to have sex with who he believed was a 14-year-old girl. Upon his arrest, detectives recovered $131, a condom and a switchblade knife. Christopher told detectives he knew what he did was “stupid.” Christopher was charged with Traveling to Meet a Minor, Procure a Minor for Prostitution, Unlawful Use of Two-Way Communication Device, Attempted Lewd Battery, and Use of Computer to Solicit Parent.
65-year-old Floyd Weir, of Skylock Drive West, Dunedin, the oldest of the suspects, chatted with detectives for several days ultimately telling one detective he hoped they could “become wonderful friends and see what develops with one another in time and maybe able to share things about each other and have wonderful time learning from one another.” Weir’s conversation with the undercover detective included asking the child to masturbate while they chatted. He said he liked going to parks, boating, fishing and taking photos. When Weir arrived at the undercover location, detectives located sex toys, lubricant, and pillows inside his vehicle (a van.)
35-year-old Tommy Helms, of Avenue E, Ormond Beach with his 18-year-old girlfriend, Erin Vickers arrived together. Helms had arranged for Bickers to “teach” a 14-year-old girl how to have sex and ultimately to include himself in the sexual activity. Helms and Bickers arrived on a motorcycle with a large backpack containing several pornographic movies, vibrators, sex toys, condoms, oils, four sets of handcuffs, and a dog collar. Helms was charged with Travel to Meet a Minor, Use of computer to Solicit Sex from Minor, Attempted Lewd Battery, Transmission of Harmful Material to Minor, Use of two-way communication Device, and Vickers was charged with Traveling to Meet a Minor, Unlawful Use of Two-Way Communication Device, Attempted Lewd Battery.
“Despite the fact our detectives have conducted nine of these operations since 2006; despite the extensive media coverage when we talk about the numerous arrests; despite the fact we make no secret about putting suspects in jail – there are those who continue to travel to Polk County to have sex with a child. Make no mistake; we will continue to make protecting our children our number one priority. We will continue to conduct these investigations, and we will continue to arrest those who would travel to Polk County to harm children,” said Sheriff Grady Judd.
