PINELLAS PARK, Fla. – Pinellas Park police officers took Eric Carl Van Domelen into custody on April 9, 2026, after investigators say the Largo man traveled to the city with the intent to meet a 15-year-old for sexual activity.
The investigation began when detectives received a tip regarding inappropriate online messages between Van Domelen and a minor. According to authorities, the 47-year-old made specific arrangements to meet the teenager to engage in ‘illegal acts.’
During the probe, detectives discovered that Van Domelen was already a registered sex offender with a 2006 conviction and a prior prison sentence for similar offenses.
“We are not waiting for victims to come forward,” Pinellas Park Police Chief Adam Geissenberger said following the arrest. “We are out there finding those who seek to exploit children and stopping them. This individual has already served time in prison for similar sex offenses and is a registered sex offender yet still made the choice to target a child with similar intent.”
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The Chief issued a stern warning to others, stating that anyone entering the community to exploit a child would be caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Van Domelen now faces a long list of charges, including traveling to meet a minor, seduction of a child using the internet, transmission of harmful material to a minor, and unlawful use of a two-way communications device.
He is also charged with three counts of failing to register as a sexual offender. He was transported to the Pinellas County Jail, and police say the investigation is still active.
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