Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd is scheduled to address the public tomorrow afternoon, following a large undercover investigation that resulted in the arrest of nearly 20 suspects. The briefing will begin at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
The multi-day joint operation, called “Operation Child Protector VIII,” aimed to identify and apprehend individuals who targeted youngsters.
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The Sheriff’s Office stated that the investigation was a coordinated effort, including many local police agencies, sheriff’s offices, and the Florida Department of Financial Services Criminal Investigations Division.
The sting led to the detention of 19 people. The charges are serious: 16 people have been accused of going to meet a kid for sexual purposes.
Furthermore, three individuals are facing human trafficking accusations after reportedly offering to pay for sexual actions with a youngster.
While the full list of suspects has yet to be disclosed, investigators have stated that the oldest suspect is 68. This person is supposedly a well-known character in Polk County, notable for both his specific occupation and frequent public appearances.
Sheriff Judd will be joined by Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, as well as numerous other agency heads and regional law enforcement commanders, to explain the details of the case and the evidence acquired throughout the operation.
