Jacksonville Man Facing Charges Following Undercover Sex Sting

A 30-year-old Jacksonville man is facing several charges after an undercover child sex sting in St. Johns County, according to reports.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, the man allegedly began communicating Wednesday with an undercover detective whom he thought was a child and traveled to St. Johns County late Wednesday morning, hoping to meet the child.

He was caught in a traffic stop and brought in for questioning.

He is charged with use of computer to seduce, solicit, lure a child, attempted lewd and lascivious behavior, travel to meet a child after using a computer to lure a child and unlawful use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony.

Special Victims Unit detectives began the investigation in an effort to target individuals that use the internet to sexually exploit children.

The man was booked into the County Jail and is being held without bond.

In undercover sex stings, like this case, there are many elements that prosecutors must prove true to obtain a conviction. First and foremost they must be able to prove the identity of the person on the the other end of the online chats, text messages, etc. This is usually achieved through circumstantial evidence, like an undercover officer convincing the person to trade pictures with them and matching their image to the person that shows up to the designated meeting spot. Email and Internet Protocol (IP) addresses are usually heavily relied upon as evidence during trial for any type of online computer sex sting operation.

If you have been arrested in Jacksonville on charges related to any type of undercover sex sting operation, our Florida Internet Solicitation Defense Attorneys at Whittel & Melton can help. Call us today at 866-608-5529 or contact us online for a free consultation to learn more about your defense options.