281 Arrested in Polk County Sting

Sheriff Grady Judd announced 281 arrests in Polk County on Thursday.

The arrests resulted from a seven-day undercover operation called Polk Around and Find Out II. Local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies conducted two simultaneous undercover operations during the investigation. Judd stated that investigators focused on identifying individuals seeking to exploit children and vulnerable people in the community.

Thirty-one of the suspects were accused of being child sexual predators. These individuals communicated online with people they believed were children or guardians and attempted to meet them for unlawful sexual activity. Seventeen of the suspects told detectives they worked at local theme parks or resorts, including Disney World and Universal Studios. One suspect was a head coach for a youth football and cheerleading program in Davenport. Judd noted that these workers chose those locations because they wanted to be near children.

In one specific case, investigators arrested a 24-year-old man from Clermont. He told detectives he had previously worked as a character performer at Disney World. Detectives found two backpacks in his possession containing diapers and other items. The man was accused of communicating with an undercover detective posing as the guardian of a 13-year-old boy. Judd described the suspect as wanting to wear diapers and put them on children.

The investigation also yielded 239 arrests connected to prostitution-related offenses. Among those arrested was Eric Raymond, an Orange County deputy sheriff. Raymond was assigned as a school resource deputy at Independence Elementary School. Investigators reported that Raymond responded to an undercover online advertisement and agreed to pay for sex.

Beyond the arrests, investigators identified 11 human trafficking victims during the operation. Stacie Ham, the anti-trafficking supervisor for One More Child, was embedded with detectives throughout the investigation. Ham, a survivor of human trafficking, said the group helps victims by walking alongside them through court processes and legal systems. The nonprofit also helped survivors get jobs and apply for housing. One More Child worked with the Florida Department of Children and Families to screen people who traveled to meet undercover officers for signs of trafficking.

The operation involved the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Florida Attorney General's Office of Statewide Prosecution, the Florida Department of Financial Services, and the 10th Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office.