SANTA ROSA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG) — An undercover investigation in Northwest Florida has led to the arrest of eight men accused of attempting to meet a minor.
Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson said the men thought they were on their way to meet a 14-year-old girl. Instead, they were met by police officers.
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The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Naval Criminal Investigative Service and Air Force Office of Special Operations, conducted the operation from Aug. 20 to 23.
The sheriff’s office said officers and police officers posed as children on popular social media and chat apps. They said the undercover officers identified themselves as minors and the suspects continued to send explicit messages, some including photos or videos.
According to the sheriff’s office, the suspects each arranged to meet with people they believed to be minors in person for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity.
Upon arrival, they were taken into custody.
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The sheriff’s office arrested these eight men:
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Shawn Michael Reinhard, 60, of Shalima
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Lloyd Ashley, 60, of Fort Walton Beach
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Aiden Christopher Harris, 19, of Milton
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Andrew Scott Roach, 31, of Bay Minette
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Cameron Joel Neely-Dane, 25, of Pace
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Deevon Keeshawn Henry, 20, of Pensacola
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Kam’ron Pierre Walker, 26, of Fort Walton Beach
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Matthew John Short, 27, of Pensacola
The men face a total of 27 charges ranging from obscene communication to weapons offenses. Sheriff Johnson said Walker and Reinhard showed up with firearms.
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“They just go on certain websites and get approached by individuals,” Johnson said. “They post pictures and these guys are attracted to underage women, and that’s what they do.”
Sheriff Bob Johnson urges parents to check their children’s phones.
“Please, for the love of God, check their cell phones and their accounts, because there are people like that who are coming after them,” Johnson said. “Make no mistake, if this was a 14-year-old girl they were meeting, they were up to something bad.”
The sheriff’s office said 11 other suspects are awaiting charges for various crimes related to their online communications with minors.
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