Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly is set to pull back the curtain this afternoon on the results of a new undercover cyber operation in Bunnell. The 2 p.m. news conference at the Flagler County Sheriff’s Operations Center will detail the work of what officials are calling Operation Innocence Shield. For now, the sheriff's office is keeping a tight lid on specifics, including any arrests or charges.
Press conference details
According to WKMG ClickOrlando, Sheriff Staly will be joined at the podium by members of the FCSO Cyber Crimes Unit, the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, the 7th Judicial Circuit state attorney's office and the Florida Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution. The station has posted a "WATCH LIVE" advisory for the 2 p.m. briefing and plans to roll out updates as new information comes in.
FCSO cyber unit has been active
The upcoming briefing follows a string of joint cyber investigations by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office with regional and federal partners. Those efforts have included a four-month probe that resulted in a June arrest in Palm Coast, according to a news release from the Flagler County Sheriff's Office. That release states that FCSO’s Cyber Crimes/ICAC unit worked alongside the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations and FCSO digital forensics teams to secure a search warrant and seize electronic devices for forensic review.
“Any pervert who gets a ‘thrill’ from seeing children get sexually abused belongs behind bars,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in the same Flagler County Sheriff's Office release. The document notes that the investigation remains active and that additional charges could be filed once the forensic analysis of the seized devices is complete.
What to expect at the briefing
At today's news conference, officials are expected to walk through what investigators uncovered and announce any arrests or charges arising from Operation Innocence Shield. We will update this story as authorities release more details following the 2 p.m. briefing.
