Attorney General James Uthmeier Announces 16 Child Predator Arrests in Undercover Central Florida Operation

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Courtesy of the Office of the Attorney General

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.-Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the arrest of 16 child predators in a Central Florida sting operation. The operation was led by the Office of Statewide Prosecution and the Osceola County Sheriff's Office, in collaboration with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Lake City Police Department, the Orlando Police Department, and the St. Cloud Police Department.

"This operation is a perfect example of why proactive law enforcement is so important-multiple children were saved from harm as a result," said Attorney General James Uthmeier. "Each one of these predators was ready and willing to engage in sexual abuse of children, but they were met with undercover officers and handcuffs instead. Thanks to our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, dangerous predators are off the streets, and our kids are safer because of it."

"If you target kids, you are not safe," said Osceola County Sheriff Christopher Blackmon. "We will find you; we will arrest you and we will make sure you face the full weight of justice. You will be hunted, not the hunter."

The undercover operation targeted predators who were sexually exploiting children online through chatrooms and escort websites. Each of the defendants engaged in sexually explicit and harmful communications with the undercover officers despite being informed they were communicating with a 13-, 14-, or 15-year-old child. The defendants each continued to make plans to meet for sexual activity, and were all arrested upon arriving at the agreed upon meeting spot.

Fifteen of the predators were arrested for traveling to meet with who they believed to be children, and an additional predator was arrested for engaging in harmful and explicit conversation with his "victim." Sheldon Lee left four young children in a hotel room to go to a strip club and then meet with his "victim." Naman Kanthwal is in the United States on a green card from India, and he was arrested while intending to meet and assault a 14-year-old girl. Many of the predators arrested regularly have access to children, like Disney employee Sroas Tes, and Michael Cornell, who is a school bus driver in Volusia County.

This marks the most successful Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) operation in Osceola County, arresting 16 predators in just four days. The undercover operation spanned from March 18-21, 2026.

The following individuals were arrested and charged:

Luis Colon-Serrano, 37, Venezuela

• Travel to Meet a Child
• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device
• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor
• Criminal Solicitation
• Lewd and Lascivious Battery

James Macrae, 19

• Travel to Meet a Child
• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device
• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor
• Lewd and Lascivious Battery
• Criminal Attempted Felony
• Cause Child to Commit Act Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor

Sroas Tes, 36

• Travel to Meet a Child
• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device
• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor
• Lewd and Lascivious Battery
• Criminal Attempted Felony
• Cause Child to Commit Act Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor

Steven Zamora, 24

• Travel to Meet a Child
• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device
• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor
• Lewd and Lascivious Battery
• Criminal Attempted Felony
• Cause Child to Commit Act Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor

Gary Robinson, 38

• Travel to Meet a Child
• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device
• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor
• Lewd and Lascivious Battery
• Criminal Attempted Felony
• Cause Child to Commit Act Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor
• Resisting Arrest
• Possession of Cannabis

Naman Kanthwal, 29, India

• Travel to Meet a Child
• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device
• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor
• Lewd and Lascivious Battery
• Criminal Attempted Felony
• Cause Child to Commit Act Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor

Jason Nguyen, 33

• Travel to Meet a Child
• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device
• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor
• Lewd and Lascivious Battery
• Criminal Attempted Felony
• Cause Child to Commit Act Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor

Sheldon Lee, 34

• Travel to Meet a Child
• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device
• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor
• Lewd and Lascivious Battery
• Criminal Attempted Felony
• Cause Child to Commit Act Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor
• Possession of Cannabis

Michael Cornell, 36

• Travel to Meet a Child
• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device
• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor
• Lewd and Lascivious Battery
• Criminal Attempted Felony
• Cause Child to Commit Act Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor

Brian Ford Jr., 21

• Travel to Meet a Child
• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device
• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor
• Lewd and Lascivious Battery
• Criminal Attempted Felony
• Cause Child to Commit Act Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor

Wesley Young, 37

• Travel to Meet a Child
• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device
• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor
• Lewd and Lascivious Battery
• Criminal Attempted Felony
• Cause Child to Commit Act Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor

Lance Roberts, 39

• Travel to Meet a Child
• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device
• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor
• Lewd and Lascivious Battery
• Criminal Attempted Felony
• Cause Child to Commit Act Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor
• Tampering with or Fabricating Physical Evidence

Joseph Grausso, 41

• Travel to Meet a Child
• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device
• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor
• Lewd and Lascivious Battery
• Criminal Attempted Felony
• Cause Child to Commit Act Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor

Jason Snow, 19

• Travel to Meet a Child
• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device
• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor
• Lewd and Lascivious Battery
• Criminal Attempted Felony
• Cause Child to Commit Act Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor

Ivan Gonzalez De Jesus, 27

• Travel to Meet a Child
• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device
• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor
• Lewd and Lascivious Battery
• Criminal Attempted Felony
• Cause Child to Commit Act Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor

Nicolas Velasquez, 35

• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device
• Harmful Explicit Communication to a Minor
• Criminal Attempted Felony
• Transmission of Harmful Materials of a Minor (x5)

These cases are being prosecuted by Attorney General Uthmeier's Office of Statewide Prosecution. The defendants face a combined 400 years in the Florida Department of Corrections.

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