The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office (SJSO) arrested nine men recently in an undercover operation titled, “Operation Downpour.” This was one of many operations over the past several years that an SJSO undercover operation utilized the internet to locate and identify persons who use it to sexually exploit children.
The operation was led by SJSO Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Detectives under the auspices of the North Florida ICAC Task Force. Assisting agencies included, F.B.I., Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Attorney’s Office, 7th Circuit State Attorney’s Office, the Sheriff’s Offices of St. Johns, Volusia, Putnam Counties, as well as Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. The St. Augustine Beach and Orange Park Police Departments also provided personnel to assist in the operation.
The operation involved undercover detectives posing as children online to arrange for unknown suspects to meet with them at an undercover location that was located in St. Johns County. During this time, nine individuals made plans and traveled to the undisclosed location in an attempt to solicit children. Once the suspects arrived at the location, they were taken into custody by arrest teams.
Of those arrested three were from Duval County, one each from St. Johns, Alachua, Clay and Flagler Counties in Florida and one each from McCord, Washington and South Gate, California. The nine suspects range in age from 18 to 34 years old and are facing all felony charges.
Those arrested, their charges and bonds are:
Clarence Bernard Thomas, 28, Jacksonville
Ct. 1: Attempted Lewd and Lascivious Behavior
Ct. 2: Traveling to meet a minor for sex
Ct. 3: Unlawful use of a two-way communication device
Ct. 4: Solicit a child for sex
Bonds totaled $12,500
Orion Kade Healy, 19, Palm Coast
Ct. 1: Traveling to meet a minor for sex
Ct. 2: Unlawful use of a two-way communication device
Ct. 3: Solicit a child for sex
Ct. 4: Attempted Lewd and Lascivious Battery
Ct. 5: Tampering with Evidence
Bonds totaled $45,000
Michael Edward Beck II, 21, Jacksonville
Ct. 1: Solicit a child for sex
Ct. 2: Traveling to meet a minor for sex
Ct. 3: Unlawful use of a two-way communication device
Ct. 4: Attempted Lewd and Lascivious Battery
Ct. 5: Transmission of Harmful Material to Mino
Ct. 6: Possession of Marijuana
Bonds Totaled $33,000
Raymomd Edward Wygant, 25, Washington
Ct. 1: Solicit a child for sex
Ct. 2: Traveling to meet a minor for sex
Ct. 3: Unlawful use of a two-way communication device
Ct. 4: Attempted Lewd and Lascivious Battery
Bonds Totaling $32,500
Ethan Nathaniel Persson, 18, St. Augustine
Ct. 1: Solicit a child for sex
Ct. 2: Traveling to meet a minor for sex
Ct. 3: Unlawful use of a two-way communication device
Ct. 4: Attempted Lewd and Lascivious Battery
Bonds Totaling $35,000
Ernie Mendoza Aleman, 31, California
Ct. 1: Solicit a child for sex
Ct. 2: Traveling to meet a minor for sex
Ct. 3: Unlawful use of a two-way communication device
Ct. 4: Attempted Lewd and Lascivious Battery
Bonds Totaling $50,000
Matthew Bernard Browne, 28, Gainesville
Ct. 1: Traveling to meet a minor for sex
Ct. 2: Solicit a child for sex
Ct. 3: Attempted Lewd and Lascivious Battery
Ct. 4: Unlawful use of a two-way communication device
Bonds Totaling $35,000
Jhony Antonio Chacon-Montiel, 34, Jacksonville
Ct. 1: Travel to meet a minor for sex
Ct. 2: Unlawful use of a two-way communications deice
Ct. 3: Attempted Lewd and Lascivious Battery
Ct. 4: Use a computer to solicit a child for sex
No Bond
Joshua Ryan Blankenship, 28, Green Cove Springs
Ct. 1: Attempted Lewd and Lascivious Battery
Ct. 2: Unlawful use of a two-way communications deice
Ct.3: Travel to meet a minor for sex
Ct. 4: Use a computer to solicit a child for sex
Ct. 5: Possession of a Controlled substance w/o prescription
Ct. 6: Possession of Methamphetamine
No Bond
