ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The St. John County Sheriff’s Office announced nearly 40 arrests made in two consecutive operations that targeted child sex crimes and registered sex offenders.
The first, Operation Safe Passage, targeted subjects who use the internet to prey on children. Sheriff Rob Hardwick said the operation resulted in 17 arrests.
A part of the string of arrests in St. Johns County was a 32-year-old JSO employee, who was arrested on Sept. 18.
Terrence Owens began working with JSO’s Communications Center in June and was still in his probationary period.
JSO sent a release about Owens that said “Upon learning of his arrest, JSO leadership immediately terminated him.”
Sheriff T.K. Waters, who was also at the news conference, spoke about the employee’s arrest.
“I’m thankful to Sheriff Hardwick that he caught him,” Waters said. “I’m disappointed, but I’m very glad he was caught because he can’t hurt our kids.”
According to an arrest report obtained by News4JAX, Owens exchanged text messages with an undercover detective believed to be a 14-year-old.
Owens was charged with traveling to meet a minor for sex, lewd and lascivious battery, human trafficking, unlawful use of a two-way communication device and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
The second sting, Operation Unified Watch, focused on registered sexual offenders and predators who were not in compliance with statutory requirements.
According to Hardwick, 19 people were arrested and 36 warrants were issued after the sheriff’s office and other agencies ran a check on all 249 registered sex offenders in the county.
The offenders were arrested for registration violations that included falsifying information about their vehicles or failing to report addresses, internet identities and jobs.
Both operations were completed consecutively over four days.
The news conference highlighted the importance of proactive sex offender management and the significance of Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) units, which worked tirelessly to protect children from online predators.
The Sheriff’s Office said these operations involved numerous local, state, and federal agencies working together to protect children, including the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the State Attorney’s Office.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass issued a warning to parents and guardians as Halloween approaches. He reminded them to stay vigilant.
“Go to the FDLE website, look at the offender database,” Glass advised. “Pay attention to everything you possibly can.”