A significant undercover operation led by the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office High Tech Crimes Unit (HTCU) resulted in the arrest of 16 people accused of attempting to prey on children online.
The Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) program, codenamed Operation Boogeyman, brought together a number of agencies, including the Citrus County School Board Police Department, the United States Secret Service, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and various local police departments.
During the operation, undercover police posed as kids on social media and messaging platforms. According to investigators, the suspects established discussions, emailed explicit content, and traveled in numerous cases with the goal of meeting what they believed to be underage minors for sexual activity.
Among those arrested were convicted sex offenders and predators who had broken their probation or parole requirements. The charges range from solicitation of a juvenile and unauthorized communication to child human trafficking.
“These predators knew they were targeting children and still chose to pursue them,” said Sheriff David Vincent. “Operation Boogeyman exposed just how real and dangerous these threats are in the digital world. I couldn’t be prouder of our High Tech Crimes Unit and the partner agencies who worked tirelessly to bring these predators to justice.”
The sheriff’s office issued a list of those arrested, which included people from Citrus County and the neighboring areas. Several individuals face several felony charges, and some are still in detention without bail.
Authorities are advising parents to discuss Internet safety freely with their children and to closely supervise their children’s Internet use.
Anyone with information concerning suspected child exploitation can contact the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office at (352) 249-2790 or utilize the “Submit a Tip” function on the CCSO mobile app.