HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. – A Plant City man has been sentenced to five years in state prison for traveling to Hernando County with the intent to have sex with a minor, according to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office.
Juan Carlos Romero, 19, was sentenced on September 26, 2025, after being arrested in a multi-agency undercover sting operation in July 2024. Following his prison term, Romero will be required to register as a sex offender.
The case against Romero began on July 17, 2024, as part of “Operation Summer Scoop,” an initiative by the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Section, Special Victims Unit. The operation targeted individuals seeking to exploit children online and resulted in the arrest of eight suspects.
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According to investigators, Romero engaged in sexually explicit online conversations with a person he believed was an 11-year-old girl. The profile was actually an undercover Special Agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). During the conversations, authorities say Romero claimed to be 16 years old before arranging to meet the “child” for sexual activities.
Romero traveled from his home in Plant City to a pre-arranged location in Hernando County on July 18, 2024, where he was met and arrested by detectives.
He was charged with Traveling to Meet a Minor and Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device. After his arrest, Romero was booked into the Hernando County Detention Center, where he was initially held without bond.
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