CITRUS COUNTY, FLa.- Citrus County Sheriff’s Office’s (CCSO) High Tech Crimes Unit (HTCU) is releasing the results of Operation Lucky Strike, a tactical undercover Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) operation to apprehend dangerous cyber predators who attempted to engage in sexual activity with a child.
Over the course of this operation, officials from the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, along with our partners at the United States Secret Service, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tavares Police Department, worked collaboratively to capture these online child sex predators.
During the operation, law enforcement officials posed as minors on various websites waiting to be solicited through online messages by these subjects. Despite the acknowledgment of the child’s age, these individuals still chose to send sexually explicit pictures, messages and detailed requests of various sexual activities they wanted to perform with the child.
Some had driven over an hour thinking they were meeting a minor to engage in sexual activity, but were luckily greeted by law enforcement personnel. In total, 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞 arrests were made as a result of this operation.
“𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙮 𝙪𝙥𝙤𝙣 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙩. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙨 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙫𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙭𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙩 𝙢𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙪𝙥 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙪𝙡𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙨 𝙞𝙛 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙚,” said Sheriff Mike Prendergast.
“𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙣 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚. 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙬 𝙚𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙪𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛𝙛 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙨. 𝙄𝙛 𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 “𝙇𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙮 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙠𝙚” 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙤𝙛𝙛 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙨, 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨. 𝙒𝙚’𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙙 12 𝙞𝙢𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚, 𝙨𝙤 𝙬𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙢 “𝙇𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙮 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙠𝙚” 𝙖 𝙝𝙪𝙜𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨.”
𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐆𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐥 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐨-𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐨 (DOB 12/06/1995), Summerfield, FL – Travel to Seduce/Solicit Child in Sex Act: F.S.S. 847.0135(4)(a); and Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device: F.S.S. 934.215. Total bond set at $27,000.
𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐢𝐫𝐨 (DOB 08/03/1996), Brooksville, FL – Travel to Seduce/Solicit Child in Sex Act: F.S.S. 847.0135(4)(a); and Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device: F.S.S. 934.215. Total bond set at $27,000.
𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐳𝐚𝐦𝐚 (DOB 06/20/1991), Bradenton, FL – Travel to Seduce/Solicit Child in Sex Act: F.S.S. 847.0135(4)(a); Transmission of Harmful Material to Minor: F.S.S. 847.0138(2); Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device: F.S.S. 934.215; Carrying Concealed Weapon with No License: F.S.S. 790.01(1); and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon: F.S.S. 790.23(1)(A). Total bond set at $72,000.
𝐉𝐞𝐟𝐟 𝐃. 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐬 (DOB 07/18/1976), Crystal River, FL – Travel to Seduce/Solicit Child in Sex Act: F.S.S. 847.0135(4)(a); and Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device: F.S.S. 934.215. Total bond set at $27,000.
𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 (DOB 01/08/1983), Homosassa, FL – Travel to Seduce/Solicit Child in Sex Act: F.S.S. 847.0135(4)(a); and Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device: F.S.S. 934.215. Total bond set at $27,000.
𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧 (DOB 01/26/1992), Hernando, FL – Possession of a Controlled Substance: F.S.S. 893.13(6)(a); and Possession of Paraphernalia: F.S.S. 893.147(1) Total bond set at $3,000. (Accomplice to Sean Robert Mooney, driving him to the meeting location.)
The following subjects were arrested on Citrus County warrants as part of this operation:
𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 (DOB 02/28/1983), Palm Bay, FL – 2 Counts of Transmission of Harmful Material to a Minor: F.S.S. 847.0138(2); and Computer Pornography: Seduce, Solicit, Lure, or Entice a Child to Engage in Any Illegal Act: F.S.S. 847.0135 (3)(a); and Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device: F.S.S. 934.215. Total bond set at $4,000.
𝐆𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐧 𝐂𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐡𝐚𝐦 (DOB 12/30/1985), Homosassa, FL – 2 Counts of Transmission of Harmful Material to a Minor: F.S.S. 847.0138(2); and Computer Pornography: Seduce, Solicit, Lure, or Entice a Child to Engage in Any Illegal Act: F.S.S. 847.0135 (3)(a); and Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device: F.S.S. 934.215.Total bond set at $8,000.
𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐋𝐚𝐤𝐞 (DOB 10/18/1971), Tampa, FL – Transmission of Harmful Material to a Minor: F.S.S. 847.0138(2); and Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device: F.S.S. 934.215.Total bond set at $4,000.
𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩 𝐖𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐫𝐢𝐜 (DOB 07/04/1982), Beverly Hills, FL – Transmission of Harmful Material to a Minor: F.S.S. 847.0138(2); and Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device: F.S.S. 934.215.Total bond set at $4,000.
𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐬 (DOB 11/02/1990), Orlando, FL – Transmission of Harmful Material to a Minor: F.S.S. 847.0138(2); and Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device: F.S.S. 934.215.Total bond set at $4,000.
𝐑𝐚𝐥𝐩𝐡 𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐩𝐡 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐬 (DOB 05/09/1969), Tampa, FL – Failed to Register All Electronic Mail and Identifiers Total bond set at $2,000.