A 60-year-old Deerfield Beach man is behind bars after what Boynton Beach detectives describe as an undercover sting aimed at online predators. Officers arrested the man at Intracoastal Park on Wednesday after investigators say he arranged to meet someone he believed was a 14-year-old, then booked him into the county jail on multiple felony charges.
According to CBS12, detectives identified the suspect as Paul Dominguez and say he used the Sniffles messaging app to communicate with an undercover officer posing as a minor. A probable-cause affidavit alleges Dominguez sent multiple explicit photographs and a video of an adult male, requested explicit pictures in return, described sexual acts, and arranged to pick the supposed teen up at the park and drive him to his Deerfield Beach home. After his arrest, the affidavit states he gave a sworn statement acknowledging that he sent identifying photos and confirming the solicitations along with his intent to take the minor to his residence.
Charges and penalties
Court records show Dominguez was charged with traveling to meet a minor for sex, transmission of material harmful to minors, unlawful use of a two-way communications device, and solicitation of a minor to engage in sexual conduct. Under Florida law, traveling to meet a minor after online solicitation is a second-degree felony that can carry up to 15 years in prison and fines, according to the Florida Legislature. Prosecutors often pair a travel charge with separate electronic-transmission counts when messages or images play a central role in the investigation.
Undercover stings in Boynton Beach
Investigators say the arrest is part of an ongoing pattern of operations by the Boynton Beach Police Department's Human Exploitation Task Force, which has relied on online decoys and park meetups to identify people who target minors. Officials report that the task force has carried out several similar stings at Intracoastal Park and other locations as detectives follow digital leads. Police told WPBF that parents should be wary of unfamiliar apps and keep an eye out for signs that their children may be communicating with strangers online.
Dominguez was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail, and his bond was set at $90,000 at his first appearance, CBS12 reports. Anyone with information related to the case can contact Boynton Beach police through the department's non-emergency line or via its website, according to the Boynton Beach Police Department. The case will move through Palm Beach County courts as detectives and prosecutors review the digital evidence and consider additional filings.
