Cops Snare 15 In Orlando 'Relentless Pursuit' Child Sex Sting

An undercover child predator sting in Orlando ended with fifteen arrests today, after a joint team of local and federal investigators posed online as children and adults who had access to kids. Police say the suspects believed they were arranging sex with 13- or 14-year-olds, then traveled into the city for what they thought would be in-person meetings.

The operation, which officials dubbed "Operation Relentless Pursuit," targeted would-be offenders between the ages of 23 and 45, according to police. Detectives and federal agents allegedly met them in chats and messages before those conversations moved from the internet to Orlando itself.

In a post on X, the Orlando Police Department said the sting brought together the FBI and "multiple partner agencies," with investigators running the online conversations that led to the fifteen arrests, as shared by Orlando Police. The department linked a shared case folder for media and offered a summary of the bust, but did not immediately publish the suspects’ names or booking details in the post.

How the sting worked

According to police, detectives made first contact online while posing either as minors or as adults who claimed to have access to children. Once conversations turned to sex and a meeting was arranged, officers waited for the suspects to show up in Orlando, where arrests followed.

Investigators say the people taken into custody believed they were on their way to meet 13- or 14-year-olds. The Orlando effort is part of a broader federal push to target exploitation and enticement of minors under Project Safe Childhood and related initiatives, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida.

Central Florida's recent operations

This is not the only multi-agency undercover operation to hit Central Florida this spring. In late March, an Osceola County-led sting called "Catch a Con" resulted in sixteen arrests, after detectives said most of the suspects traveled to meet what they thought were minors, as reported by WESH. Officials credited regional Internet Crimes Against Children task forces and their federal partners with helping coordinate those arrests.

Legal note

The arrests announced in this latest operation are allegations, not convictions. Investigators and prosecutors will review the evidence before any formal charges are filed or unsealed. As the U.S. Attorney's Office has emphasized in a recent release about similar efforts, "An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty." Local authorities say they will release booking and charging details as cases move through the system.

Resources for families

Anyone who has information about suspected online enticement or exploitation of children is urged to contact local law enforcement and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline at National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline. NCMEC and FBI victim services teams provide resources and support to affected children and their families.