'Master Groomer' Among 4 Charged In Pasco Child Sex Trafficking Ring

NEW PORT RICHEY, FL — Four men are facing charges this week in connection with a child sex trafficking ring spanning multiple counties. Now, Pasco County authorities are urging possible additional victims to come forward.

According to a Pasco County Sheriff's Office news release, the men face multiple charges after a 16-year-old victim went to authorities and prompted an investigation.

The following people were charged on multiple counts, including human trafficking and use of a child in a sexual performance:

• Randy Coffelt Jr., 44, of Middleburg.
• Branden Sarno, 33, of Port Richey.
• Sidney Smith, 68, of Holiday.
• John Kehinde, 29, of New Port Richey.

According to authorities, the victim, who was 15 years old at the time, met Coffelt around December while chatting on a site called Chat Avenue. The victim told authorities she believed she was dating Coffelt and "talked with him frequently" through both Chat Avenue and text messages. According to authorities, the victim told Coffelt her age, to which he replied that he "liked young girls."

The victim told police that Coffelt later encouraged her to have sex with other men and that he wanted it recorded and sent to him, according to authorities. The victim agreed because she thought it would please Coffelt, authorities said.

In March, authorities said Coffelt created an account on the website Adult Friend Finder and made arrangements with three men — later identified as Sarno, Smith and Kehinde — to meet the victim. According to authorities, Sarno, Smith, and Kehinde each met with the victim and recorded themselves performing sexual acts with her. The three men also provided drugs and vapes to the victim during their encounters, authorities said.

In a news release, Pasco County authorities said Sarno is a convicted felon who was previously arrested in 2013 during a joint human trafficking operation conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Department of Homeland Security and is a convicted felon.

Neither Smith nor Kehinde has a significant criminal history, authorities said.

Coffelt was arrested in Middleburg with assistance from the Clay County Sheriff's Office, authorities said.

In a statement, Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass called Coffelt a "master groomer in the most reprehensible sense of the term." According to Glass, Coffelt manipulated and exploited "a vulnerable minor for his own twisted gains."

Authorities said they believe there may be additional victims in the case. Any victim wishing to come forward should contact the Pasco County Sheriff's Office at 727-847-8102, option 7. Anyone with information about the case should call the Pasco Sheriff's Crime Tips Line at 1-800-706-2488 or report tips online at PascoSheriff.com/tips.