VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. Seven people were arrested during an undercover operation targeting individuals who use apps and the internet to meet and exploit children, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office said the initiative, called “Operation Tor/Pedo,” ran from July 9 through July 11 and involved detectives posing online as children to identify people seeking to meet minors for sexual purposes.
Lacrosse Coach Among Those Taken Into Custody
Among those arrested was Robert James Rece, 38, of DeLeon Springs, known locally as “Coach Rosco,” the head of Volusia Lacrosse, a co-ed youth league.
Investigators said Rece traveled to a gas station in Deltona on July 11, believing he was meeting a child he had been chatting with online. In reality, he was communicating with a detective posing as a minor, the sheriff’s office said.
Six other men were arrested as part of the same operation. They were identified as Colton James Gregory, 19, of Eustis; Brandon Pierre Rutledge, 35, of Altamonte Springs; Logan Banks, 32, of Madison, Tennessee; Dion Kendal Jackson, 31, of Daytona Beach; Felix Mendez II, 28, of Port Orange; and Temur Khujabekov, 31, of Orlando, who authorities said is in the United States on a tourist visa from Uzbekistan.
All Seven Face The Same Set Of Charges
Each of the seven suspects faces charges of traveling to meet a minor, using a computer to solicit a minor, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device, according to the sheriff’s office.
The operation was carried out jointly by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Port Orange Police Department, the Daytona Beach Police Department, and the South Daytona Police Department.
Deputies released body camera footage showing the moment each suspect was taken into custody. The sheriff’s office has not released additional details about ongoing investigations tied to the case, and it remains unclear whether any of the suspects have entered pleas.
News of the arrests spread quickly online after WFLA and other outlets shared coverage of the operation, drawing hundreds of reactions from residents who called for tougher penalties for suspects accused of targeting children through social media and messaging apps.
Cases like these have become increasingly common across Florida in recent months, as sheriff’s offices statewide continue running coordinated stings aimed at identifying adults who attempt to solicit or meet minors online. Officials say these operations are intended to intercept potential offenders before any child is harmed.
This story may be updated as more information becomes available from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
