Detectives assigned to the Crimes Against Children Unit, who are members of the Central Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, have arrested an Oviedo, Florida man in connection with an internet sting in which the suspect was allegedly chatting to a 15-year-old Pinellas County girl. According to detectives the suspect had been chatting to the girl since August in an online chat room where they met.  The suspect who is 59, posed as a 20-year-old male. He sent her sexually explicit writings not only online in the chat room but also in emails, and to her cell phone. 

The activity was discovered by the child’s mother when she became suspicious after hearing inappropriate voice mails from a much older male on her daughter’s cell phone. The mother contacted the Sheriff’s Office and detectives began their investigation.  Through their investigation detectives were able to ascertain sexual graphic chat room logs written by the suspect to the 15-year-old victim.

Pinellas detectives then assumed the identity of the child and continued to correspond with the suspect in the online chat room. During this time the suspect continued to write sexual explicit messages to the detectives posing as the 15-year-old female victim. Detectives identified the suspect as Jerry L. Foster, 59, of 1001 Manigan Ave. Oviedo, Fl. Their investigation also revealed he was an employee of Orange County, working as a Family Teacher Assistant in a group home for teen boys called Laurel Hill, in Orange County. They immediately took the case to the Pinellas / Pasco State Attorneys Office and secured an arrest warrant.  The warrant is for one count for Certain Use of Computer Service Prohibited and one count for Computer Pornography.

Pinellas County Sheriff’s Crimes Against Children detectives coordinated the arrest of the suspect with the Oviedo Police Department, which is also a member of the Central Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Based on probable cause developed by Pinellas County Sheriff’s detectives, Oviedo Police were able obtain a search warrant for the suspect’s residence.  Pinellas detectives traveled to Oviedo, and with Oviedo Police arrested the suspect.  Oviedo Police at this same time served the search warrant to collect evidence linking the suspect to the crimes.

The suspect was interviewed by Pinellas detectives and he admitted to the offenses.  He is currently being held in the Seminole County Jail.

The investigation continues.

To view the suspect’s booking record and photograph click the following link or copy and paste the link into a browser address bar: http://webbond.seminolesheriff.org/iinfo.aspx?bkg_nbr=200900014134