SUWANNEE COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - After a Live Oak man was arrested in an undercover sting targeting child predators, deputies say a follow-up investigation lead them to discover over 50 marijuana plants inside his home.
The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office says they arrested eight Florida men in an four-day operation titled, "Operation Rip Current."
One of the men arrested, Curtis Duggan, is from Live Oak.
When the Suwannee County Sheriff's Office conducted a follow-up investigation, they found over 50 cannabis plants and 17 pounds of packaged cannabis in his home.
Deputies say a warrant has been secured for Duggan's arrest and he will be transferred to Suwannee County upon satisfying those charges in St Johns County.
According to authorities in St. Johns County, the operation involved undercover detectives and agents posing as children online in an attempt to deter child predators from actual children.
They say the undercover investigators were contacted by numerous subjects and were exposed to graphic and disturbing subject matter during contact with potential child predators.
Many of those subjects aggressively requested to meet in person for the purpose of sexually abusing the child personas.
As a result of the operation, eight men from all over Florida were arrested. Those arrested, their charges and bonds are:
Curtis Lavon Duggan, 59, of Live Oak
Ct. 1: Use a computer to solicit, seduce, or lure a child for sex (F)
Ct. 2: Traveling to meet a minor for sex (F)
Ct. 3: Unlawful use of a two-way communication device (F)
Bonds totaling $100,000
Habiel Isa Quiroz Carrasco, 28, of Jacksonville
Ct. 1: Use a computer to solicit, seduce, or lure a child for sex (F)
Ct. 2 Traveling to meet a minor for sex (F)
Ct. 3: Unlawful use of a two-way communication device (F)
Bonds totaling $60,000
Gary Dale Hickey Jr., 31, of St. Augustine
Ct. 1: Use a computer to solicit, seduce, or lure a child for sex (F)
Ct. 2: Traveling to meet a minor for sex (F)
Ct. 3: Unlawful use of a two-way communication device (F)
Ct. 4: Transmission of harmful material to a minor (F)
Ct. 5: Attempting to promote a sexual performance of a child (F)
Bonds totaling $65,000
Matthew Joseph-Ryan Tatge, 22, of Palm Coast
Ct. 1: Use a computer to solicit, seduce, or lure a child for sex (F)
Ct. 2: Traveling to meet a minor for sex (F)
Ct. 3: Unlawful use of a two-way communication device (F) Bonds totaling $45,000
Joshua Ryan Solana, 23, of St. Augustine
Ct. 1: Use a computer to solicit, seduce, or lure a child for sex (F)
Ct. 2 Traveling to meet a minor for sex (F)
Ct. 3: Unlawful use of a two-way communication device (F)
Ct. 4: Transmit info harmful to minors
Bonds totaling $20,000
Richard Paul Roberts, 46, of Daytona Beach
Ct. 1: Use a computer to solicit, seduce, or lure a child for sex (F)
Ct. 2: Traveling to meet a minor for sex (F)
Ct. 3: Unlawful use of a two-way communication device (F)
Bonds totaling $15,000
Nicholas Daniel Jewel, 22, of Jacksonville
Ct. 1: Use a computer to solicit, seduce, or lure a child for sex (F)
Ct. 2: Traveling to meet a minor for sex (F)
Ct. 3: Unlawful use of a two-way communication device (F)
Bonds totaling $15,000
Ronald Blaine Stafford II, 26 (Homeless)
Ct. 1: Use computer to solicit, seduce, or lure a child for sex (F)
Ct. 2: Traveling to meet a minor for sex (F)
Ct. 3: Unlawful use of a two-way communication device (F)
Ct. 4: Direct promote sexual performance by a child (F)
Bonds totaling $20,000
