The undercover operation, conducted from March 18-21, 2026, resulted in charges against 16 men ranging in age from 19 to 41 who allegedly attempted to meet with children for sexual purposes. The operation was led by the Office of Statewide Prosecution and the Osceola County Sheriff's Office, working alongside Homeland Security Investigations, and police departments from Lake City, Orlando, and St. Cloud. Fifteen defendants were arrested for traveling to meet who they believed were minors, while one was charged for engaging in explicit communications.
The defendants allegedly engaged in sexually explicit communications with undercover officers despite being told they were communicating with children aged 13, 14, or 15 years old. According to the Attorney General's office, each defendant continued making plans to meet for sexual activity after these disclosures and were arrested upon arriving at predetermined meeting locations. The operation targeted predators exploiting children through online chatrooms and escort websites.
All 16 defendants face multiple felony charges including traveling to meet a child, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, harmful explicit communication to a minor, and lewd and lascivious battery. The defendants collectively face a combined 400 years in the Florida Department of Corrections if convicted. Several defendants face additional charges, including Gary Robinson for resisting arrest and possession of cannabis, and Lance Roberts for tampering with evidence.
Among those arrested were individuals with regular access to children, including Sroas Tes, identified as a Disney employee, and Michael Cornell, described as a school bus driver in Volusia County. Sheldon Lee allegedly left four young children unattended in a hotel room to go to a strip club before attempting to meet his intended victim. Naman Kanthwal, a green card holder from India, was arrested while allegedly planning to meet and assault a 14-year-old girl.
"This operation is a perfect example of why proactive law enforcement is so important—multiple children were saved from harm as a result," said Attorney General Uthmeier. "Each one of these predators was ready and willing to engage in sexual abuse of children, but they were met with undercover officers and handcuffs instead." Osceola County Sheriff Christopher Blackmon added: "If you target kids, you are not safe. We will find you; we will arrest you and we will make sure you face the full weight of justice."
The operation marks the most successful ICAC operation in Osceola County's history, demonstrating increased coordination between state and federal agencies in combating online child exploitation. The Attorney General's Office of Statewide Prosecution will handle prosecution of all cases, reflecting the state's centralized approach to major child predator investigations.
The arrests underscore Florida's aggressive stance on prosecuting those who target children online, with the state allocating significant resources to Internet Crimes Against Children task forces. For practitioners, these cases highlight the serious penalties facing defendants in child exploitation cases and the sophisticated investigative techniques employed by law enforcement in online sting operations.