POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Seventeen people, including three Walt Disney World employees and a registered nurse, were arrested in a six-day undercover child predator sting by Central Florida authorities.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Operation Child Protector targeted people who use the internet to prey on children, WTVT reported. The 17 people arrested face 49 felonies and two misdemeanors, the television station reported. Nine people had criminal records, WFLA reported.
“These are nasty, nasty people,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said during a news conference. “We can’t even use the words that they used. We obviously can’t show the pictures and video clips that they sent to what they thought were 13-year-old little girls and little boys.”
“These are nasty people!”
— Ashonti Ford TV (@AshontiFordBN9) August 3, 2021
Several Disney World employees arrested for attempting to have sex with children.
Detectives arrested 17 suspects of varying professions, during an undercover operation focused on online adult predators. @BN9 pic.twitter.com/3Va26aFHrQ
The Disney World employees included Savannah Lawrence, 29, of Kissimmee, and Jonathan McGrew, 34, of Kissimmee, who worked as custodians at Walt Disney’s Hollywood Studios, WFLA reported.
Judd said the couple wanted to engage in a threesome with who they believed was a 13-year-old girl and role play as step-parents and stepdaughter in a shoplifting scenario, the television station reported.
“(Jonathan) said to the child, ‘We want to enjoy this opportunity, we don’t want to rush. Even at the conclusion maybe we can cuddle a little bit,’” Judd told reporters. “Are you kidding me? That’s how you talk to 13-year-old children?”
The other Disney employee was Kenneth Javier Aquino, 26, a lifeguard at Disney Animal Kingdom Lodge, Judd said.
“He left his girlfriend, who is seven months pregnant with his child, to have sex with a child,” Judd told reporters. “He’s a Navy veteran,” Judd told reporters. “That’s right. He was working toward a dive team or a SEAL team or some kind of special ops job.”
Juan Guadalupe-Arroyo, 47, of Davenport, listed his occupation as a registered nurse at AdventHealth Care Center in Celebration, Judd said.
All but one of the people arrested lived in Central Florida, WTVT reported. The lone person from out of state was Jarrod Justice, 33, of Los Angeles.
“He showed up on vacation but he only needed to buy a one-way ticket because he’s not flying back to Los Angeles anytime soon,” Judd told reporters. “He’s married. Mrs. Justice, did you hear that? His last name is Justice. That’s what we’re going to get. Justice for Justice.”
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