May 15--SARASOTA -- Authorities say Shawn Gray, an attorney and lieutenant commander with the United States Coast Guard Judge Advocate General Corps, drove from his home in Miami to Sarasota recently to meet an 8-year-old girl he had met in a chat room.
But when Gray arrived in Sarasota County, to a house where he thought the child would be home alone, he was instead greeted by Sarasota County Sheriff's Office deputies who arrested him.
"He had hoped to have sex with an 8-year-old girl," Sarasota County Sheriff Tom Knight said of Gray, who was charged with use of a computer and traveling to seduce, solicit or entice a child to commit sex acts.
Gray is being charged with a second-degree felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison, said Chief Assistant State Attorney Ed Brodsky.
Gray was one of 31 nabbed in a six-day sting called Operation Intercept, an attempt to protect Manatee and Sarasota counties' children from online predators, Knight said Monday during a press conference at the sheriff's office in downtown Sarasota.
Five of the 31 arrested were from Manatee County. The sting concluded Saturday, Knight added.
All 31 suspects responded to Internet-based ads and engaged in sexually explicit written and verbal conversation, according to a Sarasota Sheriff's Office press release.
What also is disturbing about the sting, in which the sheriff's office also was able to take the suspect's vehicles as "tools of their trade," is that this form of predation seems to be able to fool children who are not fooled when someone tries to entice them in person.
"This is a different way of doing the stranger danger, and now they are using technology," said Venice Chief of Police Thomas McNulty.
"An informed child is a child not likely to be victimized," McNulty added.
Arrests included Jon-Erik Holschback, 27, of Bradenton, who is charged with use of computer to seduce or entice a child to commit sex acts.
He also is charged with transmission of materials harmful to a minor by electronic device.
Ronald Daly, 30, of Parrish was arrested and charged with use of computer to seduce, solicit or entice a child to commit sex acts; travel to seduce, solicit or entice a child to commit sex acts; and possession of cannabis.
Darrion Hart, 23, of Bradenton, and Mark Kuhn, 48, of Bradenton are charged with use of computer to seduce, solicit or entice a child to commit sex acts; travel to seduce, solicit or entice a child to commit sex acts.
Mark Proveaux, 38, of Bradenton, is charged with use of computer to seduce, solicit or entice a child to commit sex acts; travel to seduce, solicit or entice a child to commit sex acts, possession of marijuana; and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The suspects all agreed to come to a secret location in Sarasota County with the intent to have sex with a child or children, the sheriff's office said.
"We're keeping the location secret because we plan to use it again," Knight said.
When the suspects arrived, they were met by detectives and placed under arrest.
"Predators establish contact with kids through chat rooms, instant messaging and discussion boards," Knight said. "The anonymity of the Internet allows these criminals to seem like caring individuals, but they're only looking for vulnerable victims. Parents, you have to be your child's protector and monitor what they are doing online."
The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office conducted the operation with the assistance of the Bradenton Police Department, the Manatee County Sheriff's Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Sarasota Police Department, Venice Police Department, North Port Police Department, the State Attorney's Office and other members of the Central Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Copyright 2012 - The Bradenton Herald, Fla.
