© Volusia County Sheriff's OfficeVoluArrested in the Operation Unlawful Attraction sting were (top row, from left): Ryan Kirk, Jonathan Hayes, James Bowen, George Wallace and (bottom row from left) Ronald Foley, Jorge Cruz and Jonathan Harden.
Instead, seven men found handcuffs and were arrested after the Volusia County Sheriff's Office's "Operation Unlawful Attraction" sting operation. Undercover detectives posed as 14- and 15-year-olds willing to meet for sex.
The seven, who were arrested from Wednesday to Sunday, represent a variety of vocations, among them youth camp maintenance worker, in-home care nurse, barber, mechanic.
The previous week, two hours away in Polk County, the sheriff's office arrested 13 men in Operation Cyber Guardian, a similar online bait-and-bust hunt for those who desired sexual partners in the 13- and 14-year-old age range.
Each suspect arrested in the Volusia County roundup was charged with using a computer to seduce or solicit a child; traveling to seduce or solicit a child; attempted lewd and lascivious battery; and use of a two-way communication device to commit a felony.
This group, in alphabetical order:
▪ James Bowen, 34, Gainesville. VCSO said the co-owner of Bob's Barber Shop in Gainesville told them, "He only came to the meeting place because he believed it was an undercover sting and he thought it would be cool to see it in action." Cops claim Bowen sent "sexually charged" messages to an undercover detective he thought was a 14-year-old.
▪ Jorge Cruz, 49, DeBary.
▪ Ronald Foley, 28, Daytona Beach.
▪ Jonathan Harden, 25, Sanford.
▪ Jonathan Hayes, 22, Eustis. Hayes works in maintenance at Florida Elks Youth Camp, VCSO said, where he used to be a counselor.
▪ Ryan Kirk, 31, New Smyrna Beach.
▪ George Wallace, 43, South Daytona. Two years ago, VCSO said, Wallace almost got hooked in one of these stings, but stood his "date" up. This time, VCSO said, the worker for Comfort Keepers home care showed up to a Daytona Beach Racetrac parking lot -- and got arrested.
(joke)