Twenty-nine men are facing criminal charges in Jacksonville after Sheriff T.K. Waters said they engaged in online conversations with individuals they believed to be young teens seeking sex.
The arrests are the result of a five-day sting operation, dubbed Operation Checkmate, led by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, Water said at a news conference Thursday.
Undercover detectives posed as minors online and arranged to meet the suspects at various locations across the city.
The operation, which started in April, targeted individuals attempting to lure children online for sexual exploitation. Once suspects arrived at the predetermined meeting spots, they were met by the JSO Narcotics Unit or the SWAT Team for apprehension.
Among those taken into custody was an individual who managed security at prominent venues throughout the city, including a stadium and arena. Another arrested suspect worked as a youth athletics coach.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office urged parents to be vigilant about their children’s online interactions. The agency stressed that even websites marketed toward children can host predators waiting to exploit them.
JSO said there are active arrest warrants for other individuals involved in this operation.
The following is a list of names of people arrested during the operation:
- Billy East, 35
- Clifford Skaggs, 72
- Derrick Wilcox, 22
- Donald Seymore, 42
- Dustin Heffner, 37
- Elias Martinez Guerra, 30
- Giuseppe Gilbert, 23
- Jacob Futch, 29
- Jaime Castellanos Marin, 42
- Jason Gaines, 41
- Javier Isidro Mendez, 31
- Jay Kennedy, 28
- Jean Auguste, 45
- Jeremy Johnson, 33
- John Mullins, 61
- Leon Hicks, 43
- Mark Sullivan, 59
- Mikal Detoro, 44
- Nasib Amin, 23
- Nathan Ramirez, 29
- Quentin Quarterman, 28
- Rodcliff Wilson, 33
- Samuel Pinheiro, 35
- Sean Smith, 48
- Stephen Sheehan, 34
- Terry Rivers, 34
- Zachary Bradley, 25
- Zachary Stitz, 39
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