Authorities say a 28-year-old Massachusetts man is sitting in an Osceola County jail after flying to Florida to meet someone he believed was a 14-year-old. The suspect was booked on multiple felony counts tied to online enticement on April 17 and remains in custody while investigators keep building the case.
According to investigators, the man was identified as 28-year-old Canaan Boddie, who allegedly first contacted an undercover detective with the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children task force on March 8. As reported by First Coast News, Boddie was taken into custody at a gas station in Osceola County on April 17 after traveling to meet the person he believed was a minor. Investigators say he admitted to sending explicit images during the conversations and that his statements led to an added charge of traveling to meet a minor. His bond was set at $387,000, authorities told reporters.
Operation Catch a Con
The arrest lands in the middle of a wider regional crackdown on suspected online predators. In March, Osceola County led “Operation Catch a Con,” a coordinated Internet Crimes Against Children operation that police say resulted in 16 arrests of men accused of traveling to meet people they believed were minors, WFTV reported. Homeland Security, the FBI, and several county law enforcement agencies joined forces in the sting, according to officials.
Investigators told First Coast News they are now coordinating with law enforcement in North Carolina and St. Petersburg as the probe into Boddie continues. Authorities also allege Boddie admitted to earlier encounters involving minors, including an alleged meeting with a 15-year-old in North Carolina and a 12-year-old from Florida, according to investigators.
Legal implications
Under Florida law, it is a felony to use a computer or similar device to seduce, solicit, or lure someone believed to be a child, or to send explicit material to them. Traveling to meet a minor after online contact is classified as a second-degree felony under section 847.0135. The statute explicitly states that it is not a defense if the “child” is actually an undercover officer, and convictions can bring prison time and fines, as laid out in the state code. See Florida Statutes for details…