Child Porn Round Up Nabs 12 In South Florida

MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) – Of the nearly 50 arrests made in statewide round-up of suspected online predators and those who trade child porn, a quarter of those happened here in south Florida.

The six-month investigation was the first since the Attorney General's Office cybercrime unit and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Computer Crime Center were merged so they could coordinate efforts to catch pedophiles.

FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey said around 100 cases were investigated in total, and more arrests are expected.

"We have found child predators in chat rooms, we have found child predators utilizing instant messaging, texting, on dating sites, social networks and Craig's List," Bailey said.

They ranged, he said, from a man living in a million-dollar house downloading child pornography to another who drove from Jacksonville to Tallahassee thinking he was going to have sex with a 13-year-old girl and her mother.

Miami-Dade Arrests

A 15-year old, whose name CBS4 is withholding because of his age, was charged with one count computer pornography, four counts of sexual battery, four counts of sexual performance by a child & one count of extortion.

Carlos Figueroa, 26, was charged with three counts/violations of The Florida Sexual Predator Act.

Broward Arrests

Kris Brown, 36, was charged with 20 counts of possession of child pornography & one count of computer pornography.

Alvin Bueno, 30, was charged with 25 counts of possession of child pornography.

Douglas Fluery, 58, was charged with two counts of computer pornography, one count of attempted lewd and lascivious assault and one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device.

Christian Martinet, 24, was charged with 30 counts of possession of child pornography.

Jorge M. Martinez, 22, was charged with one count of possession of child pornography and one count of computer pornography.

Ricky Masters, 65, was charged with 10 counts of possession of child pornography.

Curtis Orr, 41, was charged with 24 counts of possession of child pornography.

Marcus Peixoto De Almeida, 38, was charged with 20 counts of possession of child pornography.

Michael Torres, 35, was charged with 30 counts of possession of child pornography.

Harvey White, 58, was charged with 10 counts of possession of child pornography.

"It's a sad reality of the society we're living in throughout this country, but in Florida we are going to do everything in our power to put them out of business and lock them up, hopefully for the rest of their lives if possible," said state Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Bondi advised parents to closely monitor what their children are doing on the Internet and their cell phones, because these "sickos" often appear first to be another child instigating an innocent instant message or text chat.

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