A former Disney World Mickey Mouse impersonator was among 281 people arrested in a Florida child predator sting targeting alleged human trafficking and offences against children, police said.
The operation was carried out by investigators from seven agencies in Polk County. The suspects included 24-year-old Collin Klaco, who police allege travelled to a holiday home to meet someone he believed was a 13-year-old boy.
According to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, Klaco told investigators he would put on his Mickey Mouse costume to entertain children at Disney World and spoke in what the sheriff described as a “spooky, high-pitched voice”.
Police allege Klaco exchanged online messages with an undercover detective posing as the boy’s guardian. The messages contained requests for sexual activity involving the child, investigators said.
Klaco then allegedly drove to a property in Polk County, where undercover detectives were waiting. Officers arrested him when he arrived and said they found nappies and wipes that he had allegedly brought with him.
He was booked into Polk County Jail on charges including travelling to meet a minor, using a computer to solicit a guardian, using a two-way communication device to commit a felony and attempted lewd or lascivious battery on a minor.
Chris Hansen, known for the television programme To Catch a Predator, was also involved after the arrests, conducting interviews with Klaco and other suspects, according to law enforcement sources.
Sheriff Judd discussed the scale of the operation at a press conference, while Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier praised the participating agencies and said his office would pursue the cases arising from the investigation.
