A massive five-day online sting operation, dubbed “Operation Twelve Parsecs,” has resulted in the arrests of 13 individuals on charges related to online child sexual exploitation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) announced.
The coordinated effort involved a dozen local, state, and federal agencies targeting individuals engaging in sexually explicit communication with minors, transmitting child sexual abuse material, and arranging to meet minors for sexual activity.
Extensive Partnership Nets Suspects
Inspectors, agents, and analysts from the FDLE led the operation in partnership with the Florida Highway Patrol, Florida Department of Agriculture, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), and the United States Marshals Service.
Local and regional law enforcement agencies also played a crucial role, including the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, Gulf Breeze Police Department, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lake City Police Department.
The scope of the charges against those arrested, who range in age from 18 to 70 and hail from Florida and Alabama, includes:
- Seduce, solicit, lure, or entice a minor to engage in sexual conduct
- Travel to meet a minor for sexual activity
- Use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony
- Transmission of harmful material to a minor
One suspect, William Pierce, 52, of Pensacola, was also charged with promoting the sexual performance by a child. Another, Christopher Glover, 47, of Grand Bay, Ala., faces an additional charge of resisting arrest without violence.
The cases for the 13 individuals arrested will be prosecuted by the State Attorney’s Office, First Judicial Circuit. The FDLE stated that the investigation remains active and ongoing.
Separate Operation Verifies Sex Offender Compliance
In a separate, but related, initiative, FDLE agents and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also conducted a three-day enforcement effort focused on verifying the residential addresses of registered sexual offenders and sexual predators in Escambia County.
During this compliance check, officials made contact with 130 registrants. This address verification investigation is also still ongoing.
The FDLE reiterated its commitment to protecting children, stating it remains dedicated to proactively monitoring offender compliance and working closely with its law enforcement partners to prevent exploitation and hold accountable those who seek to harm minors.
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