Florida police announced that they arrested 281 individuals as part of a sting to catch child predators in the state, 17 of whom were employees at the Disney and Universal Studios theme parks in Orlando.
On Friday, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said the purpose of the operation was to catch suspects in human trafficking and child predation.
One person caught in the sting was a former Mickey Mouse costumed character at Disney World, while another was a current employee trying to meet up with a 13-year-old boy, according to CBS News.
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“It is extremely disturbing when we encounter nasty child predators like these who are very eager to have sex with children. This is why we conduct these types of undercover operations,” Mr. Judd said in a statement.
Mr. Judd said that 13 of the employees were from Disney, while four were from the Universal parks.
Among the other suspects caught, one was a kids’ football coach, who thought he was meeting a 14-year-old girl. Another person was on active Navy duty.
Thirty-two people caught were undocumented immigrants; 16 of them have already been turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to the sheriff.
Mr. Judd said Disney cooperated with law enforcement, and the company has since fired all employees involved.
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