The men were arrested for messages they sent to undercover officers pretending to be minors, MCSO said.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Marion County Sheriff’s Office apprehended 40 men in connection with an online sting operation named Operation “Seek and Ye Shall Find Out.”
According to the sheriff’s office, these individuals engaged with users they believed were children aged between 13 and 15, but they were, in fact, interacting with undercover law enforcement officers. After arranging to meet, most of these men traveled to a predetermined location where they were confronted by law enforcement officers.
The men were charged with various offenses, including traveling to meet a minor for illegal sexual conduct, human trafficking, using a computer to solicit a child, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, and transmitting material harmful to a minor, as stated in the release.
Sheriff Billy Woods commented, “With each operation, we catch more and more. The number of offenders only goes up.” Additionally, the sheriff’s office reports that officers seized firearms, drugs, cash, and vehicles from the suspects, and further arrests are anticipated.
