An undercover operation in Volusia County recently led to the arrest of seven individuals, including the head of a local youth lacrosse league, who allegedly traveled to meet minors they had communicated with online.
The joint operation, dubbed “Tor/Pedo,” was conducted from Thursday, July 9, through Saturday, July 11. During those three days, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office and several partner agencies worked undercover, searching for individuals who were utilizing apps and the internet to target, meet, and exploit children, according to VCSO.
One of the men nabbed in the sting operation was 38-year-old Robert James Rece of DeLeon Springs. Also known as “Coach Rosco,” he reportedly served as the head of Volusia Lacrosse, which is a co-ed youth lacrosse league.
VCSO stated that Rece was taken into custody on the final day of the operation after he allegedly traveled to a gas station in Deltona to meet up with a “child” he had communicated with online.
Another man arrested in the sting operation was 31-year-old Temur Khujabekov, an Uzbekistan citizen who was reportedly staying in Orlando on a tourist visa.
The other five suspects arrested during the operation include Colton James Gregory, 19, of Eustis; Brandon Pierre Rutledge, 35, of Altamonte Springs; Logan Banks, 32, of Madison, Tennessee; Dion Kendal Jackson, 31, of Daytona Beach; and Felix Mendez II, 28, of Port Orange.
All seven suspects in this case are being charged with traveling to meet a minor, using a computer or internet service to solicit a minor, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
Operation Tor/Pedo was a joint operation led by VCSO, with assistance provided by the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Port Orange Police Department, Daytona Beach Police Department, South Daytona Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and State Attorney’s Office for the Seventh Judicial Circuit.