ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — Over a dozen men across the First Coast and beyond have been arrested following an online operation targeting predators.
In April 2023, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children conducted 'Operation Spring Fling' in collaboration with numerous local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and 14 suspects were arrested.
Deputies say they were charged in reference to numerous criminal offenses related to online child exploitation. A complete list of those arrested is below.
For a majority of the cases, detectives posed as underage girls. They then began conversations with adult individuals who then made sexual advances.
"These individuals agreed to travel to meet with the child persona and in those cases, they did in fact, travel to a location in St. Johns County, and they were arrested by our officers," St. Johns County Sheriff's Office Lieutenant George Harrigan said.
St. Johns County Sheriff's Office Lieutenant George Harrigan says undercover investigators used social media platforms and dating websites.
"Even if they don't travel, there are other crimes that they can commit if they distribute illicit images to what they believe is a child or they engage in conversation that leads to, or that could lead to a child engaging in some type of illegal activity with them or sexually explicit activity," Harrigan said.
According to the state attorney general's office, the average age of a child being contacted online is 15 years old. Harrigan says predators take advantage of children during the summer because they're free while their parents may be distracted.
“Operations like this are an example of the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office priority to protect our children,” said Sheriff Rob Hardwick.
"I’m thankful for the relationships we have with our law enforcement partners and I’m proud of the men and women who work relentlessly to prevent child exploitation. The message to offenders is clear: we will find you, and your journey will end in St. Johns County."
The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office is also asking parents to monitor your children’s online activities, set boundaries, and have conversations about the danger that exists online.
"Maybe it's no devices during meals, maybe you're intentional about saying 'we're going to have so many minutes of non-electronic activities per day, or maybe you use in state a digital curfew'. A big piece of advice from our ICAC investigators is there's really no reason for children to have their phones alone in their rooms at night," Harrigan said.
Arrests:
- Vince Mills, 29, was charged with attempted lewd and lascivious battery
- Jessie Pack, 41, was charged with attempted lewd and lascivious battery
- Cole Myers, 31, was charged with fleeing or eluding, using a computer to solicit a child, transmitting harmful material to minors, attempted lewd and lascivious behavior, resisting an officer with violence and failure to stop following a crash involving injury
- Cavvorshae Howard, 38, was charged with attempted lewd and lascivious battery, traveling to meet a minor after using a computer to lure a child and use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony.
- Nicholas Romero was charged with using a computer to solicit or lure a child, traveling to meet a child, attempted lewd and lascivious battery
- Fabriise Richardson, 39, was charged with using a computer to lure a child, traveling to meet a minor after using a computer to lure a child, attempted lewd and lascivious battery and use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony
- Dumitru Babu, 41, was charged with fleeing, obstructing without violence, traveling to meet a minor after using a computer to lure a child, attempted lewd and lascivious battery and use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony
- Jose Aldanondo, 52, was charged with attempted lewd and lascivious battery, traveling to meet a minor after using a computer to lure a child, use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony and using a computer to lure a child
- Joshua Blackwelder, 36, was charged with using a computer to lure a child by misrepresenting his age and use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony
- Albert Bodden, 27, was charged with attempted lewd and lascivious battery, traveling to meet a minor after using a computer to lure a child, using a computer to lure a child by misrepresenting his age and use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony
- James Ford, 33, was charged with using a computer to lure a child, traveling to meet a minor after using a computer to lure a child, attempted lewd and lascivious battery and use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony
- Kyle Goodwin, 49, was charged with attempted lewd and lascivious battery, using a computer to lure a child and use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony
- Alberto Garza, 41, was charged with attempted lewd and lascivious battery, traveling to meet a minor after using a computer to lure a child and use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony
