Undercover sting catches 8 men seeking sex with teenagers, Manatee County deputies say
An undercover sting caught eight men seeking sex with teenagers, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said.
The men, ranging from ages 24 to 54, were arrested as part of “Operation Safe Summer,” a covert operation conducted by the sheriff’s office in July July that targeted adults talking with children online, deputies say.
During the operation, the sheriff’s office said contact was made between the men and undercover officers posing as teenagers on different social media platforms and dating websites.
After extensive conversations between the men and undercover officers, the sheriff’s office said eight men traveled to meet minors “for the purpose of conducting various forms of sexual activity.” But when the men arrived, there were no teenagers and they were arrested, according to a news release.
The following men were arrested during the sting:
- Christopher Paugh, 43, of Bradenton, using a computer to seduce or solicit a child, traveling to meet a meet a minor, transmitting harmful material to minors.
- William Henry Finken, 53, of Lutz, using a computer to seduce or solicit a child, traveling to meet a minor for sex.
- Paul Huffstutler, 47, of Bradenton, using a computer to seduce or solicit a child, traveling to meet a minor for sex.
- Nitin Singare, 41, of Tampa, using a computer to seduce or solicit a child, traveling to meet a meet a minor, transmitting harmful material to minors.
- Oscar Muthe-Mora, 27, of Clearwater, traveling to meet a minor for sex, use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony.
- Clenton Pol Chan, 24, of Bradenton, traveling to meet a minor for sex, use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony.
- Oscar Alberto-Gonzalez, 25, of Sarasota, using a computer to seduce or solicit a child, traveling to meet a minor for sex.
- Sreedhar Yadav, 54, of Temple Terrace, using a computer to seduce or solicit a child, traveling to meet a meet a minor, use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony.
The sheriff’s office used several different platforms to conduct the undercover online sting. According to arrest records, one detective posed as a 14-year-old girl on Tinder, an online dating platform, to chat with one of the men, who asked the undercover officer “are you looking for a boyfriend?” Detectives say the conversation was sexually explicit and the man arrived at a Bradenton park hoping to meet the teenage girl.
The sheriff’s office said another one of the men was arrested after he responded to what he thought was a 14-year-old girl’s ad on a personal ads website and agreed to bring condoms during a meeting at the same Bradenton park.
Detectives say they are following leads on other suspects they believe pursued sexual activity with teenagers. As of Friday, multiple investigations are ongoing, the sheriff’s office said.
This story was originally published September 6, 2024 at 10:34 AM.
