ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — Four men found St. Petersburg police waiting for them over the weekend after they arranged to meet up with boys or girls, ages 14 and 15, for sex, the police department said.
The minors these men were chatting with were actually undercover detectives who entered various online chat rooms and websites as a part of an operation dubbed “Operation Spooky Surprise,” according to police.
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Thomas Ray Hill, 55; Brandon Farrow, 32; Mathias Padilla, 44; and Tahquill Battle, 28, were arrested as a result of the operation.
Arrest affidavits state that each of the suspects were made aware of the victims’ supposed ages but continued to chat with them anyway. When Farrow learned the person he was chatting with was 15, he responded by saying, “Delete that off your snap,” according to police.
The suspects are all accused of making graphic, sexual statements about what they wanted to do with the children before traveling to meet up with them.
Authorities said Farrow sent nude photos of himself and asked the 15-year-old he thought he was chatting with to do the same…