Douglas Cooley News Today

Some of the men allegedly offered to pay hundreds of dollars to have sex with who they thought were young girls, according to deputies.

Following an undercover operation, deputies say they have arrested six men who showed up at a location in Polk County with the intent of sexually abusing children.

Six Central Florida men are now facing charges after they were caught by Polk County Sheriff Deputies trying to have sex with minors.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said Douglas Da Silva agreed to pay $250 to have unprotected sex with a 15-year-old child.

Detectives posed as children and guardians of children online to identify individuals who prey upon kids.

Some of the men allegedly offered to pay hundreds of dollars to have sex with who they thought were young girls, according to deputies.

The worker was one of six men charged in a child predator undercover sting operation, the sheriff’s office said.

Beginning September 19, 2023, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Lakeland Police Department, Haines City Police Department, Tampa Police Department, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, and Orange County Sheriff’s Office detectives conducted a seven-day-long undercover operation, during which detectives posed as children or guardians of children on social media…

At separate times throughout the investigation, all six men showed up to the undercover location in Polk County “to sexually batter children,” the release states.

A seven-day-long undercover operation aimed at identifying and arresting individuals preying on children for unlawful sexual activity ended on September 26, 2023 with the arrest of six people.