OCALA, Fla. (CBS12) — Fifty-eight suspected child predators were arrested after a five-day undercover operation in Marion County in which investigators posed as children as young as 7 online, Florida authorities said.
The suspects allegedly engaged in sexually explicit conversations and arranged meetings despite being told they were communicating with minors, law enforcement officials announced on Thursday in Ocala. They were taken into custody when they arrived at predetermined locations. Officials said some of those arrested had regular access to children, including parents and teachers.
The operation, dubbed “Operation Bad Habits,” ran from June 1 through June 6, and is being described as the largest Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) operation in Marion County history…