FDLE, the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office, and the Homeland Security Investigations coordinated Operation Not a Fan after discovering multiple sex offenders and predators using unreported OnlyFans accounts, a violation of Florida’s registration laws.
Inspectors, agents and analysts with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) partnered with the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in the arrest of 10 sexual offenders and sexual predators for violations of Florida law.
The operation began when investigators determined that multiple sexual offenders appeared to have unreported accounts with OnlyFans. Registrants are required to report such accounts within 48 hours of usage.
Nine registrants were found to be in violation of Florida’s registration requirements, including eight sexual offenders and one sexual predator. One additional target was found to have been present at an elementary school without properly notifying administrative staff.
WCSO arrested two of the identified suspects during the investigative phase of the operation. Arrest warrants were obtained for the remaining eight subjects.
Members of FDLE’s Enforcement and Investigative Support Bureau (EIS) and the FDLE Tallahassee Regional Operations Center, in coordination with the WCSO and HSI recently served the warrants and apprehended five suspects in Wakulla County, one suspect in Tallahassee and one suspect who was confirmed to already be incarcerated in the Taylor County Jail. The remaining warrant was executed as the suspect was caught returning to Wakulla County from an alleged work trip.
According to law enforcement, arrests included:
- 38-year-old Houston Bennett, sexual offender
- 28-year-old Charles Deese, sexual offender
- 41-year-old John Haynes, sexual offender
- 39-year-old Joshua Martin, sexual offender
- 52-year-old Richard Messer, sexual offender
- 41-year-old Sumanth Bala Rayapreddy, sexual offender
- 20-year-old John Sanders, sexual offender
- 56-year-old Spencer Tinson, sexual offender
- 63-year-old Carlton Willis, sexual offender
- 28-year-old Shay Smith, sexual predator
The 10 suspects face charges including failure to properly report changes to vehicles, email addresses, and internet identifiers, and loitering or prowling in close proximity to children.
FDLE’s Missing Persons and Offender Enforcement Division partners with sheriff’s offices, police departments and federal law enforcement across Florida to verify compliance with Florida’s registration laws requiring sex offenders and predators to report to their local sheriff’s office and provide information including residential addresses, telephone numbers, vehicle information, internet identifiers, photograph, passport and conviction information.
Citizens can access Florida’s Sex Offender Registry by downloading the FDLE Mobile App and search the online Florida’s Sex Offender Registry at Sexual Offenders and Predators Search.
These cases are being prosecuted by the State Attorney’s Office for the Second Judicial Circuit.
