7 child sex predators arrested in Florida undercover sting include TSA officer, retired Army member: sheriff

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An undercover child sex sting in Florida resulted in the arrests of seven suspects, including a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer and a retired Army staff sergeant, while an eighth suspect remains on the run, authorities said Tuesday.

The sting, “Operation Child Protector V,” was carried out over eight days in late February with detectives posing as children and adults who have access to children online, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said. Detectives filed a total of 27 felony charges against the eight suspects.

Edmundo Dasilva, 37, was taken into custody after messaging an undercover detective that he would pay $60 to have sex with a child and showing up to the sting location, the sheriff’s office said. Dasilva told detectives he is married and works for Homeland Security as a TSA officer.

Another suspect, identified as 41-year-old Larry William Hayes, is a retired U.S. Army staff sergeant who worked as a satellite systems analyst and was working for the U.S. Department of Defense at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa with a high security clearance, Sheriff Grady Judd told reporters.

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Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd announced Tuesday that eight men have been charged in an undercover child sex sting. (Polk County Sheriffs Office)

Hayes, who said he is married with three children, is accused of sending several explicit images of his genitalia to the undercover detective and agreeing to pay $250 for sex with a child. 

After getting caught, Grady said he told detectives he was really there to save the girl.

“He immediately tells us, ‘I’m there to rescue her.’ Well, the reality is we rescued some child from him,” Judd said.

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The suspect who remains on the run was identified as 61-year-old John Adams of Dunedin, Florida. While Adams did not show up to the undercover location, he is accused of sending his “vile” and “filthy” desires to have sex with a child, Judd said. 

Judd said a suspect, identified as 61-year-old John Adams, is hiding from authorities. (Polk County Sheriff’s Office)

The other suspects arrested include 34-year-old Brandon Ray, 45-year-old Willie Merrill, 27-year-old Hasan Abu Halemeh, 29-year-old Nelson Louis and 45-year-old Manuel Canasi, who Judd said told detectives he is married and has a son and two teenage daughters.

The photos of the eight men charged in the undercover child sex operation. (Polk County Sheriff’s Office)

The suspects all face a range of charges, some of which include human trafficking, use of a computer to solicit a guardian, traveling to meet a minor and use of a two-way communication device to commit a felony.

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The undercover operation was carried out along with the Auburndale Police Department, Davenport Police Department, Lakeland Police Department, Lake Wales Police Department and Hardee County Sheriff’s Office.