A week of explicit online chats ended in handcuffs Wednesday night when Columbia County deputies say a 25-year-old Ocala man showed up in Lake City expecting to meet a 14-year-old for sex. Horatio Levon Carrie was arrested at the prearranged spot after a specially trained undercover officer, posing as the teen, helped set up what investigators describe as a controlled meeting. Deputies say the online contact began about a week earlier and included explicit images, and Carrie is now in custody while investigators continue to work the case.
According to a Columbia County Sheriff's Office Facebook post, deputies coordinated with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office to verify that Carrie traveled from Ocala to Lake City before moving in on the sting. The agency says the takedown happened around 9:30 p.m. on March 4 at the agreed meeting location.
How Investigators Say The Operation Unfolded
Investigators say Carrie had been communicating online with a specially trained undercover detective for roughly a week and that he also sent inappropriate images, as reported by WCJB. Deputies then arranged a controlled meeting at a designated spot in Lake City and took him into custody when he arrived.
Sting, Arrest And Charges
As detailed by Action News Jax, deputies say Carrie groomed the undercover investigator, who he believed was a 14-year-old girl, and even said he wanted them to live together when she turned 18. Investigators obtained a warrant after determining his intent to meet with the minor.
According to that report, Carrie faces a slate of charges that include travel to meet after using a computer to lure a child, transmitting obscene material to a minor, using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony, transmission of information harmful to minors, and using a computer to seduce or lure a child. Action News Jax also reports the arrest involved the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office multi-jurisdictional drug task force and criminal investigations division, and that he was booked with bond set at $400,000 on those charges.
Custody And Booking Details
WCJB reported that Carrie was booked into the Columbia County Detention Facility and is being held without bond on a probation violation tied to a fleeing-and-eluding case. The case remains under active investigation, and prosecutors will decide whether to file formal charges stemming from the sting.
What Authorities Are Urging
The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office is urging parents and guardians to closely monitor children’s social media and device use and to report any suspicious contacts, according to a Columbia County Sheriff's Office Facebook post. Anyone with information related to the case is asked to contact the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.
