Bradenton man given probation, credit for time served after trying to have sex with minor
BRADENTON -- A Bradenton man was ordered Friday to serve five years probation as part of a plea agreement after he tried to have sex with a minor.
Luis Alberto Rodriguez Agudo, 26, was facing charges of traveling to seduce, solicit or entice a minor for sex and attempted lewd and lascivious battery. In exchanged for pleading guilty to a lesser charge of attempted child abuse, the State Attorney's Office declined to prosecute the initial charges.
Rodriguez was arrested as part of Operation Green Shepherd IV in which undercover detectives with the Manatee County Sheriff's Office targeted people looking to have sex with children. Fifteen arrests were made in the operation conducted March 2-10.
Rodriguez appeared before Circuit Judge Susan Maulucci to enter into the plea agreement. Rodriguez was to be released Friday after being given credit for time served in jail. Rodriguez had remained in Manatee County jail since his March 3 arrest.
"This defendant communicated with a law enforcement officer who he believed to be an underage child," Assistant State Attorney Michael Manning said. "The communication was sexual in nature and this defendant traveled to a designated location to meet the underage minor."
Maulucci agreed to withhold Rodriguez's conviction, as well, as part of the plea agreement.
Conditions of the agreement include 100 hours of community service, pay investigation and court costs or complete community service in lieu of the court costs.
Rodriguez has no previous record.
Rodriguez was arrested after he showed up at a Circle K convenience store, 5104 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton, to meet a 14-year-old girl to have sex, according to his arrest report.
Earlier in the day, Rodriguez had used the social networking site Badoo and began chatting with an undercover detective he believed was a 14-year-old girl named Jenni. Rodriguez messaged the detective: "i want to do something with u" and when asked what, he responded "like have sex if u want."
The detective said OK and asked if Rodriguez if being 14 years old was a problem. He responded "yeah im ok whit that if it ok whit you." Both agreed Rodriguez would bring condoms to the Circle K meeting.
When Rodriguez arrived at the Circle K, he was arrested by detectives, according to the report. Rodriguez reportedly admitted using his cell phone to chat with who he thought was a 14-year-old girl, driving to Circle K to meet her and knowing it was wrong, when interviewed by detectives.
Jessica De Leon, Herald law enforcement reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7049. You can follow her on Twitter@JDeLeon1012.
This story was originally published October 9, 2015 at 5:54 PM with the headline "Bradenton man given probation, credit for time served after trying to have sex with minor ."