15 Charged In Pinellas Internet Sting

LARGO, FL — The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office has announced the arrest of 15 people in conjunction with a multi-day operation meant to crack down on those who troll the Internet in hopes of meeting minors.

Dubbed Operation Wayfarer, the crackdown took place between Jan. 20-24. During the five-day operation, deputies posed as “chatters” on various websites, social media platforms, chatrooms and on online classified pages.

“During their online engagement, investigators established rapport with the subjects and developed cases in
which the individuals arranged to meet with the ‘minor’ for the purpose of sexual activity,” an email from the sheriff’s office said. “Investigators say in their online communication, the subjects explicitly sought out minors for sex.”

When all was said and done, Operation Wayfarer resulted in 15 arrests of people ranging in age from 20 to 47. Most were charged with traveling to meet a minor, online solicitation of a minor and use of computer services prohibited. One person told investigators he traveled for more than 3 hours to meet what he thought was a 13-year-old girl.

Those arrested and their charges, according to the sheriff’s office, are:

Hector R. Paz Jr., 21, Seminole

• Charges: Certain Uses of Computer Services or Devices Prohibited, Driving While License Suspended

Jared S. Sanchez, 33, Palm Harbor

• Charges: Traveling to Meet a Minor, Transmission of Material Harmful to Minors, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

Neil M. Ganchero, 40, Clearwater

• Charges: Traveling to Meet a Minor, Certain Uses of Computer Services or Devices Prohibited

Dennis W. Felton, 23, Tampa

• Charges: Traveling to Meet a Minor, Transmission of Material Harmful to Minors, Online Solicitation of a Minor, Possession of Marijuana

Morris J. Poole, 29, St. Petersburg

• Charges: Traveling to Meet a Minor, Driving While License Suspended or Revoked, warrant arrest for Violation of Probation Grand Theft, Possession of Marijuana

Terrell Newsome, 22, St. Petersburg

• Charges: Traveling to Meet a Minor

Widmaer Euzebe, 25, St. Petersburg

• Charges: Traveling to Meet a Minor

Austin W. Randall III, 26, Lutz

• Charges: Traveling to Meet a Minor

Marcus F Pugh, 36, Largo

• Charges: Traveling to Meet a Minor

Timothy David Allen, 36, St. Petersburg (Registered Sex Offender)

• Charges: Traveling to Meet a Minor

Orlando J. Alvarez, 31, St. Petersburg

• Charges: Traveling to Meet a Minor

Jose M. Aguirre, 38, Tampa

• Charges: Traveling to Meet a Minor

Steven Lusenie, 27, Largo

• Charges: Traveling to Meet a Minor

Thomas L. Elder, 20, Lake Worth

• Charges: Traveling to Meet a Minor

Matthew A. Dennison, 47, Palm Harbor

• Charges: Traveling to Meet a Minor

All suspects were booked into the Pinellas County Jail over the course of the operation.

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