A seven-day undercover operation targeting online child predators and human trafficking in Florida has led to 281 arrests, including theme park employees and an Orange County sheriff’s deputy who worked as a school resource officer.
The operation, led by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and named “Polk Around and Find Out II”, involved agencies from across the state. Authorities said those arrested face 488 new charges, including 198 felonies.
Officials said 32 people were arrested after travelling to meet individuals they believed were children for sex. A further 249 arrests were linked to a human trafficking investigation, including 117 alleged sex buyers and 122 people accused of prostitution-related offences.
Among those detained was Eric Raymond, a 40-year-old Orange County deputy. He was identified as a school resource deputy at Independence Elementary School and is accused of arranging online to pay for sex. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said he was in the process of being transferred to uniform patrol when he was arrested.
Authorities said 17 theme park employees were also arrested, although they did not identify the parks where they worked. Some of those cases involved allegations of child sexual abuse.
Arrests made across Florida
Only 40 of the suspects lived in Polk County, according to the authorities. The others came from elsewhere in Florida, 20 other US states and 18 countries.
Officials said 32 of those arrested were in the United States illegally, with 16 later handed over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Nine suspects were already on probation for offences including bank robbery and cruelty towards a child, while nine had been arrested in previous sheriff’s office stings.
Investigators also reported that 24 guns were brought to the operation and 32 people were charged with drug possession, including offences involving methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said the investigation was intended to identify people attempting to exploit children online before they could reach an actual victim. Those arrested remain allegations at this stage and will face court proceedings.
