A Boynton Beach police operation using the dating app Grindr ended with the apprehension of a 59-year-old Port St. Lucie man, Robert Zdanowski, who allegedly attempted to engage in sexual activity with someone he believed was a 15-year-old boy, according to local authorities. CBS12 reports that an undercover detective was impersonating a minor on the platform when Zdanowski, initially claiming to be 40, initiated contact and arranged a meeting for sex.
As officers executed the sting operation on January 15, Zdanowski showed up at Intracoastal Park in Boynton Beach with the intent to take the presumed minor to a hotel room, when he got taken into custody instead, condoms and a tube with several Xanax pills were discovered, signaling a preparation for the unlawful encounter, he admitted, during a post-Miranda interview, to his intentions after police found the pills and condoms in his possession, details which WPBF included in their coverage.
Zdanowski faces multiple charges, including traveling to meet a minor for sexual activity, solicitation of a minor, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, and possession of a controlled substance. The drug charge relates to Xanax pills found on him for which he did not have a prescription.
Following the arrest, the Boynton Beach Police Department emphasized the importance of internet safety and parental supervision when children are online.
