Twenty-two men charged with traveling to have sex with children

POLK COUNTY, Fla. - Twenty-two men thought they were responding to online advertisements that would lead to sex with children and, in some cases, their mothers, Polk County authorities said. Instead, the location they went to was staffed by undercover detectives.

Four of the suspects are from out of state.

The ads were posted on Internet sites including Craigslist and MyYearbook as part of "Operation Last House Call."

According to a sheriff's statement, the ads typically read "mom/stepparent/aunt/guardian seeking guidance for my daughter/stepdaughter/niece."

The suspects responded to the online ads via email, online chat, text messages and phone calls.

Sheriff Grady Judd said the adult men showed up at the undercover location with gifts and clothing for children along with condoms and sex toys.

One suspect, an 18-year-old told arresting officers, "My mom's gonna kill me and tomorrow is Mother's Day, too."

"For those of you that think you got it figured out. You only see what we did last time. But we are still coming after you. If you are going to bother children, if you are going to talk to children in a perverse manner, we are going to investigate you, we are going to lock you up. We are not going to let you be in society where you can attack children," said Judd.

Charges against the suspects include traveling to meet a minor for sex, traveling to entice a parent to consent with sex with a child and drug possession.