TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Polk County deputies and other law enforcement agencies arrested six men after a week-long investigation into sexual predators who prey on children, according to a release.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said four of the men who were arrested were an after-school daycare teacher for “an after-school daycare teacher for an elementary school in Apopka, the owner of a house cleaning business, a laborer, and an Uber driver.”
The teacher was identified as Douglas Cooley, 26, of Apopka. Sheriff Grady Judd said Cooley was planning to pay a stepmother $100 to have sex with a 15-year-old girl, but was caught by undercover detectives instead.
He was even wearing a D.A.R.E shirt at the time, the sheriff said.
All six suspects and their charges are listed below:
- Jairo Munizm 40, of Kissimmee — one count traveling to meet a minor for sex, one count attempted lewd battery, one count transmission of material harmful to minor, and one count use of two-way communication device to commit a felony.
- Timothy Wellman, 36, of Ohio — one count traveling to meet a minor for sex, one count attempted lewd battery, and one count use of two-way communication device to commit a felony
- Douglas Da Silva, 46, of Windermere — one count human trafficking, one count traveling to meet a minor for sex, one count use of computer to solicit guardian of child for sex, and one count use of two-way communication device to commit a felony.
- Feras Klisli, 49, of Davenport — one count traveling to meet a minor for sex, one count attempted lewd battery, and one count use of two-way communication device to commit a felony
- Trevor Walker of Orlando — one count human trafficking, one count traveling to meet a minor for sex, one count use of computer to solicit guardian of child for sex, and one count use of two-way communication device to commit a felony
- Douglas Cooley of Apopka — one count human trafficking, one count traveling to meet a minor for sex, one count use of computer to solicit guardian of child for sex, one count use of two-way communication device to commit a felony
Undercover detectives posed as children and their guardians online to investigate any potential suspects, the release said.
According to Judd, Chris Hansen even joined in their sting, embedding himself in the investigation.
The investigation was done in collaboration with several law enforcement agencies, including the Lakeland Police Department, Tampa Police Department, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.