Officials have arrested 15 Tallahassee area residents following an undercover sting operation on child sex crimes.
The Leon County Sheriff’s Office held a press conference on Thursday to announce the arrests made September 5-7 as part of “Operation Lifeguard.”
LCSO and partnering agencies, including the Tallahassee Police Department, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation; caught suspects in the act as they were traveling to meet up with minors.
Leon County Undersheriff Ron Cave said this is the third time this year the department has had to use the program.
"It's incredibly important. These crimes can easily go undetected if we are not working and doing these collaborative operations," said Cave.
Of the 15 individuals arrested in Operation Lifeguard:
• A suspect who was identified in two separate CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has been charged with possession of child pornography.
• A suspect who was a student advisor at a local university communicated online with an undercover officer posing as a minor and was charged with aggravated possession of child pornography.
• A suspect who solicited a 15-year-old child of a family friend was arrested after traveling to meet the minor.
• A suspect communicated with the same undercover officer during both Operation Lifeguard and Operation Spring Cleaning, which was conducted earlier this year.
• A suspect who drove from Panama City to meet the undercover officer posing as a minor had cocaine found in his possession.
• A suspect, an undocumented immigrant, solicited a child using an electronic device and is currently in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“These arrests reflect our commitment to protecting children from online predators,” said Sheriff Walt McNeil. “We will continue to work tirelessly with our partners to ensure that those who exploit children face justice.”
Cave said the LCSO has now apprehended 40 suspects for child sex crimes. LCSO intends to keep the program going with the help from state and federal authorities.