Columbia County deputies arrest Jacksonville man who believed he was meeting teen for sex

COLUMBIA COUNTY, Fla. – A 35-year-old Jacksonville man was arrested in Columbia County Friday after driving to meet who he believed was a 14-year-old for sex, according to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies said the Internet Crimes Against Children unit launched an investigation on Selwyn Yomar Diaz Diaz on March 15. According to deputies, Diaz Diaz believed he was speaking with a 14-year-old girl and made plans to meet the teen in Lake City.

Undercover detectives were watching the area when Diaz Diaz arrived, and he was taken into custody without incident, deputies said. He was charged with traveling to meet a minor, solicitation of a minor and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.

Diaz Diaz confessed to detectives that he was meeting the teen to bring her back to Jacksonville.

“We work proactively with these types of cases to prevent children from becoming victims, but this could have easily been an actual juvenile who could have been victimized,” Sheriff Mark Hunter said. “With electronic devices being so common, I would encourage parents to always monitor what their children are doing and who they are communicating with.”