One of seven Florida men arrested in a sex sting involving children reportedly told officers he knew it was an undercover operation and “thought it would be cool to see it in action,” according to police.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office announced in a statement that seven men were arrested in parking lots across the county as part of “Operation Unlawful Attraction,” which was jailed at aiming offenders who sought to meet up with underage children for sex. One of the men arrested in the countywide sting was James Bowen, 34, who allegedly claimed he was wise to the sting and only came to the meeting spot to see how things would unfold.
“His sexually charged chats and texts with an undercover detective he believed was a 14-year-old girl ensured that he got his wish,” police quipped.
Bowden, the co-owner of Bob’s Barber Shop in Gainesville, is facing several charges, including the use of a computer to seduce, solicit or lure a child; traveling to seduce, solicit, or sure a child; attempted lewd and lascivious battery; and use of a two-way communication device to commit a felony. The Gainesville Sun reported that he remains jailed in lieu of $40,000 bond.
In their statement, police alleged that two other men arrested in the sting—Jonathan William, 22, and 43-year-old George Wallace—told the undercover detective of their previous sexual encounters with underage girls.
“As many times as we do this, it’s like a moth to a flame,” Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said, according to The Daytona Beach News-Journal. “You’ve got these scumbags (who) think they are going to have sex with a 14- or 15-year-old.”
[Featured Image: James Bowen/Volusia County Sheriff’s Office]
