JACKSON COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) — Authorities have arrested 38 sex offenders in the Florida Panhandle who are accused of a range of crimes including failure to register, traveling to meet a minor for sex, and child pornography.
Several members of the Jackson County Sheriff's Office attached to the U.S. Marshal Service Task Force and the Special Victim's Unit of the Criminal Investigations Division of the Sheriff's Office assisted in "Operation Watchdog" last week, which resulted in dozens of arrests.
"Operation Watchdog" was a week-long undercover operation that targeted registered sex offenders and predators, those traveling to procure sex from a minor and those in possession of child porn, according to the Bay County Sheriff's Office who headed the effort.
Authorities said 38 arrests were made during the operation that took place from Feb. 1 through Feb. 5.
Other agencies participating in Operation Watchdog were the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, The US Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Panama City Police Department. Lynn Haven Police Department, Panama City Beach Police Department, and Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Among the 38 arrested were:
- Christopher T. Hernandez, age 26, of Enzor Street, on two charges of Failure to Register Proton mail & Discord Social Media Accounts
- Wallace Griggs, age 41, a transient, on charges of Failure to Register Address and 60 charges of Possession of Child Pornography
- Aaron Archer, age 41, of Baldwin Road, on charges of Failure to Register Social Media Accounts (Discord & Twitch accounts)
- Ron Wooden, age 49, of Dolphin Drive, on charges of Failure to Register Vehicle, and Face Book, Instagram, Gmail, & Twitter accounts
- Gregory Carver, age 28, of Betty Louise Drive, on charges of Failure to Register Vehicle and Kik Social Media Account
- Mary Martin, age 52, of Smith Road, on charges of Failure to Register AOL, Gmail, Yahoo, Facebook, and Instagram Social Media Accounts
- Scott Amberg, age 69, of Eastwood Avenue, on charges of Failure to Register Proton Mail and Discord Township Social Media Accounts and Google Account
- Damon Calen, age 43, of Lake Suzanne Way, on charges of Failure to Register Trailer
- Erik Reed, age 32, of Steeplechase Drive, on charges of Failure to Register Reddit & Instagram Accounts
- Kevin Zerbe, age 55, of B Street, on charges of Failure to Register Gmail Account and Violation of Probation
- Kevin Fayas, age 36, of Plum Nearly Road, on charges of Failure to Register Pub G Application
- Daniel Cherico, age 40, of Hwy 231, on charges of Failure to Register Trailer
- Laken George, age 28, of Leslie Lane, on charges of Failure to Register Discord, Instagram, Reddit, and Grindr Accounts
- James Mabry, age 35, of Flight Avenue, on charges of Failure to Register Instagram Account
- Kevin Weaver, age 52, of Eastwood Drive, on charges of Failure to Register Gmail, WhatsApp, Xbox Accounts
- Paul Parker, age 56, of E. 9th Street, on charges of Failure to Register Facebook & Violation of Probation
- Robert Morgan, age 36, of Anderson Road, on charges of Failure to Register Xbox, Playstation, and Roblox Accounts
- Willie Dean, age 60, a transient, on charges of Failure to Register Address and Violation of Probation (Warrant from 2020)
- James Scholl, age 57, of Indiana Avenue, on charges of Failure to Register Instagram and Vehicle
- Billando West, age 63, of E. 8th Street, on charges of Failure to Register Address (Warrant from 2019)
- Robert Pence, age 63, of Deep Springs Road, on charges of Failure to Register Telephone, Tik Tok, & Gmail Accounts
- Sean Jansen, age 27, on Montana Avenue, on charges of Failure to Register Vehicle (two counts), Gmail, YouTube Accounts, and Employment
- Ronald Eakins, age 57, of Bonita Avenue, on charges of Failure to Register Address (Warrant from 2020)
- Danny Waller, age 37, a transient, on charges of Traveling to Meet a Minor for Sexual Act, Possession of Meth, Possession of Paraphernalia
- Neil Hawley, age 40, of Dothan, Alabama, on charges of Traveling to Meet A Minor For Sexual Act, Solicitation of a Minor For Sexual Act, Use of 2-Way Comms Device, Distribute Obscene Material To A Minor
- Eddie Kemp, age 57, of Acme Lane, on charges of Traveling to Meet a Minor For Sexual Activity
- Terry L. Lynch, age 47, of Sherman Avenue, on charges of Sexual Battery (Warrant from 2021)
- Dannon Glover, age 38, of Sale Road, on charges of Promoting the Sexual Performance of a Child
- Kenneth Gabbard, age 39, of Boatrace Road, on charges of Traveling to Meet a Minor for Sexual Activity, Transmit Harmful Materials to A Minor (four counts)
- Brian Geary, age 51, of Willoughby Bay Drive, on charges of Possession of Child Pornography (three counts)
- Christopher Davenport, age 27, of West Street, on charges of Travel to Meet a Minor for Sexual Acts
- Aaron Vickers, age 34, of W. 19th Court, on charges of Possession of Child Pornography (five counts)
- Sasha Brown, age 48, of Amanda Circle, on charges of Traveling to Meet a Minor for Sex / Failure to Register as A Sex Offender / VOP Lewd and Lascivious Molestation (Failure to Register Grindr account)
- Roy Carver, age 51, of Woodland Road, on charges of Failure to Register as a Sexual Predator
- Donald Stewart, age 44, of Hwy. 390, on charges of Failure to Register as a Sexual Predator
- Bernard Sinclair, age 60, of Westwood Drive, on charges of Failure to Register as a Sexual Offender
- Robert Swearington, age 35, of Sandra Grace Road, on charges of Failure to Register as a Sexual Offender
- Charles Hagel, age 35, of Huckleberry Lane, on charges of Failure to Register as a Sexual Offender
