http://www.wtsp.com/story/news/investigations/2014/08/07/law-enforcement-crosses-lines-on-sex-stings-entrapment/13734121/
While detectives used to post ads suggesting an underage teen or child was available for sex, they now routinely post more innocuous personal ads of adults on traditional dating sites. When men – many of them under 25 with no criminal history - respond, officers switch the bait and typically indicate their age is really 14 or 15 years old. However, sometimes the storyline isn't switched until the men, who were looking for legal love, already start falling for the undercover agent.
According to arrest affidavits inspected by 10 Investigates, law enforcement is also now routinely making first contact with men who have done nothing wrong, responding to their ads on dating sites like PlentyOfFish.com. After men start conversing with what they think are adults, officers change the age they claim to be, but try to convince the men to continue the conversation anyway.
Other examples include undercover officers showing interest in a man, then later introducing the idea of having sex with the undercover's "child." If the men indicate they weren't interested, they were still often arrested for just talking to the adult.
Let that thought sink in for a moment. Imagine you are in central Florida trying to meet a gal. You start talking to a cute 26-year-old woman. She sends you a picture of her with a wedding ring on for good measure. But then she claims she's really 13. What do you do? Well, apparently it does not matter because you are now suspected of being a sex offender in Central Florida.
However, it's easier to make the case for the men who were swept up in the stings when they were looking online for adults.
"(My son) was stalked by law enforcement for three days," said the mother of a 22-year-old arrested in one of the stings. 10 Investigates is protecting the identity of her family.
The son was on Craiglist's personals pages, looking to meet other adults. He responded to a "no strings attached" ad for a 26-year-old woman. He says her story changed a few times, including the claim she was only 13, but he was skeptical.
He spoke on the phone to the undercover and she sent a photo, in which she was wearing a wedding ring. He said he was sure she was an adult (she was), so he made plans to meet her. When he arrived, he was arrested. He was later sentenced to two years of house arrest and a lifetime as a registered sex offender.
"He had a life of promise; he had an education," his mother said. "That's all been shot."
She says her son is paying the price of opportunistic lawmen.
Let me point a little thing out here-- a lot of us like a little fantasy every now and then, and some people like role-play, even age related role-play.  |
| "Hey baby I'm 26... no, I'm 13. Really." |
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| "Yes that's a wedding ring but that's because 13 year olds marry in Florida all the time." |
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| "I know my profile hays 26. I'm a twin. Two 13 year olds make 26. Yeah, that's it. Come on over, bring some Mike's Hard Lemonade." |
There is a reason why people make fun of Florida, or, as many people call it, FloriDUH. Fark.com has a tag just for Florida news, for good reason. If you live in Central Florida, especially in Polk County, you may not want to even attempt to use POF.
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| "My name is Grady Judd, and I'm a total dud, Don't try to date in my home state, Just nip it in the bud." |
