An Orlando man accused of attempting to meet a 14-year-old boy in Boynton Beach was detained on Saturday, according to police.
Phillip J. Smith, 49, is charged with many offenses, including soliciting a minor to engage in sexual conduct.
According to Boynton Beach Police, Smith communicated with an undercover officer who appeared to be a 14-year-old boy on the Grindr app on Tuesday.
The two’s interaction then turned to texting and phone calls, during which Smith began to explain in detail what he intended to do when he met the boy.
According to detectives, during their investigation, they discovered Smith was a registered sexual predator with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Smith had already been convicted of raping a 7-year-old and several rapes of a 5-year-old. He was also found guilty of other grand theft offenses.
He served 21 years in prison for these offenses before being freed in 2023.
On Saturday, Smith rented a hotel near the boy’s house and returned to Boynton Beach to speak with him.
When he came, authorities took him into prison and demanded a full confession.