A multi‑agency undercover operation in Osceola County led to the arrest of 21 men accused of trying to meet children for sexual activity, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced.
The sting unfolded over more than a week in September, spearheaded by the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office and coordinated with the Central Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, the Office of Statewide Prosecution, and several regional law‑enforcement partners.
During the operation, undercover detectives pretended to be 13‑ and 14‑year‑old minors online. In four cases, the investigators even posed as parents offering children as young as seven. Authorities said each suspect knew the ages being discussed, arranged in‑person meetings, and was apprehended when they arrived at a predetermined location in Kissimmee.
“In Florida, there will be no mercy for the merciless,” Uthmeier said. “Twenty‑one more predators went looking for a child and found handcuffs. If anyone tries to prey on kids in this state, we will find you, arrest you, and put you behind bars.”
The accused range from 22 to 64 years old. Four traveled from out of state, and two left their own children at a vacation rental to attend the meetings. Four of the men are foreign nationals from Venezuela, Honduras, Mexico, and Ecuador; officials noted that the Venezuelan citizen was already under an active removal order.
Twenty suspects face a second‑degree felony charge of traveling to meet a minor for sex, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. One suspect, 36‑year‑old Charles Victor Morgan of Christmas, Florida, was charged with solicitation of a minor and unlawful use of a two‑way communications device. Authorities said Morgan first engaged in communications during a similar operation in March 2026 and continued contacting undercover officers through September.
The Office of Statewide Prosecution filed formal charges by information against six individuals:
– Abraham Jacob Zamora, 30, of Kissimmee: Unlawful travel to meet a minor (parent) for unlawful sexual conduct.
– Leslie Augustus Anderson, 34, of Winter Haven: Traveling to meet a minor for unlawful sexual conduct; attempted lewd or lascivious battery of a child under 16.
– Jaquaun Akeem Rhodan, 35, of Travelers Rest, South Carolina: Traveling to meet a minor for unlawful sexual conduct; attempted lewd or lascivious battery of a child under 16.
– Thomas George Walsh, 41, of Grand Junction, Colorado: Traveling to meet a minor for unlawful sexual conduct; attempted lewd or lascivious battery of a child under 16; solicitation of a child for unlawful sexual conduct; unlawful use of a two‑way communications device.
– Walter Heger, 64, of Germantown, Tennessee: Traveling to meet a minor for unlawful sexual conduct; solicitation of a child for unlawful sexual conduct; unlawful use of a two‑way communications device.
– Charles Victor Morgan, 36, of Christmas: Solicitation of a child for unlawful sexual conduct; unlawful use of a two‑way communications device.
Fifteen additional men were arrested and now face pending charges or have been referred to the Office of the State Attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit:
Luis Angel Lopez‑Cruz, 33, of Kissimmee; Aquacious Keith Williams, 34, of Kissimmee; Christian Noguera‑Quintero, 27, of Venezuela; Martin Alejandro Rojas‑Castillo, 22, of Ecuador; Bryson Eric Herzberger, 23, of St. Johns; Eric Daniel Kreft, 50, of Davenport; Carlos Omar Valdes‑Rosales, 40, of Honduras; Danny Joseph Rios‑Gonzalez, 28, of Orlando; Andrew William Chandler, 42, of Kissimmee; Johnny Arturo Sanabria‑Lopez, 33, of Kissimmee; Juan Sebastian Beltran‑Robayo, 27, of Orlando; Isaiah Manuel Padovani, 25, of Kissimmee; Jonathan Leonardi Leyva‑Pascual, 25, of Mexico; Franklin Safo‑Agyare, 34, of Palm Bay; Joshua Allen Edwards, 46, of DeBary.
All cases will be prosecuted in Florida’s Ninth Judicial Circuit. Law‑enforcement officials said the investigation remains active, and additional charges may follow.
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