In a calculated sting operation by the Broward Sheriff's Office (BSO), 43-year-old Nicholas Penaloca was arrested amidst troubling allegations of planning a sexual encounter with a minor. CBS12 reported that on Thursday, Penaloca, equipped with a Mickey Mouse toy and condoms, was apprehended at an apartment complex, expecting to meet what he believed to be a 13-year-old girl.
Penaloca had initiated contact on July 23 through an internet dating app, unknowingly engaging with an undercover agent from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), as detailed by BSO in a statement obtained by BocaNewsNow.com. His communications, which included both solicitation and the exchange of explicit content, continued over subsequent days until his arrest on Thursday morning by BSO's specialized units.
The accused faces multiple felony charges including solicitation of a minor to engage in sexual conduct, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, transmission of material harmful to minors, and traveling to meet minor. He is being held at the BSO's Main Jail, as reported by CBS12.
