A law enforcement operation in Pensacola, Florida, resulted in the arrest of 13 people accused of attempting to exploit minors online. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) announced the outcome of ‘Operation Twelve Parsecs,’ a five-day effort targeting adults suspected of sexually explicit communication with minors, distributing child sexual abuse material, or trying to arrange meetings for sexual activity with minors.
The operation involved the FDLE, Florida Highway Patrol, Florida Department of Agriculture, Homeland Security Investigations, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, United States Marshals Service, and local agencies, including the Escambia and Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Offices. The focus was on identifying and arresting individuals who used online platforms to contact children in the area.
Those arrested ranged in age from 18 to 70 and were from Florida and Alabama. Arrested individuals include Nicholas Beech, 27, of Eight Mile, Alabama; Marshall Blansett, 39, of Pensacola; and David Girard, 70, of Robertsdale, Alabama. Charges include soliciting or luring a minor for sexual conduct, traveling to meet a minor for sexual activity, using a communication device to facilitate a felony, and transmitting harmful material to a minor…