Fifteen men are facing criminal charges after a five-day undercover law enforcement sting targeting people attempting to meet children for sexual activities, officials said Tuesday.
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri presented the findings of the inquiry, called “Operation Cyber Shield,” at a press conference on September 15, 2026. According to authorities, the multi-day undercover operation targeted defendants who utilized online messaging platforms to contact people they thought were minors—some as young as four years old—or parents of young children in order to arrange in-person sexual interactions.
During the conference, Sheriff Gualtieri underlined the link between unlawful digital usage and hands-on crimes.
“This is insane. It truly is, and it destroys children’s life,” Sheriff Gualtieri stated. “But what is even worse is when the people who view this junk, these videos of kids involved in sex, act on their urge to have sex themselves with these young children and we always say that one leads to the other and this operation is proof that that’s what happens.”
The Sheriff’s Office identified Michael Rozum, a Tampa-based attorney, as one of the suspects. Rozum was licensed to the Florida Bar in January 2014 and has spent much of his career practicing family law and personal injury, representing clients in domestic violence claims, complex divorces, and trials.
Professional biographies highlight his work in the Tampa Bay area, the Greek Orthodox community, and legal services for LGBT clients. Rozum is charged with traveling to meet a juvenile and harmful transmission to a minor.
Authorities named the 15 people brought into custody, along with their specific charges:
- Darren Angus – Charged with traveling to meet a minor.
- Christopher Carlson – Charged with traveling to meet a minor, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of a controlled substance.
- Connor Collins – Charged with traveling to meet a minor.
- Mauro Cruz-Platon – Charged with traveling to meet a minor.
- Jonas Jozaities – Charged with traveling to meet a minor.
- Douglas Lee – Charged with traveling to meet a minor.
- Gregory McKinney – Charged with traveling to meet a minor and attempted capital sexual battery.
- Robert Meli – Charged with traveling to meet a minor and possession of oxycodone.
- Juan Morales Tol – Charged with traveling to meet a minor.
- Christopher-Michael Patterson – Charged with two counts of harmful transmission to a minor and solicitation of a minor.
- Michael Rozum – Charged with traveling to meet a minor and harmful transmission to a minor.
- Robert Schwierking – Charged with two counts of traveling to meet a minor.
- Jacob Thomas – Charged with traveling to meet a minor and two counts of harmful transmission to a minor.
- Christian Vasquez – Charged with traveling to meet a minor.
- Fernando Garcia Velez – Charged with traveling to meet a minor.
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