A Lithia man is now facing human trafficking and other felony charges after investigators say he drove into Polk County expecting to meet a 14-year-old. Instead, deputies were waiting.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office said Perry Olson was arrested Thursday after an undercover operation and booked into the Polk County Jail. According to a news release, detectives allege Olson traveled to Polk County to engage in sexual activity with someone he believed was a minor, and they filed multiple felony counts, including human trafficking. Polk County Sheriff's Office officials said the case remains an active investigation.
#BREAKING Perry Olson from Lithia must be living under a rock because most people know better than to travel to Polk to sexually batter a child. He's charged with human trafficking and other felonies. He's a predator, and now he's in the county jail.
— Polk County Sheriff 🚔 Grady Judd (@PolkCoSheriff) June 18, 2026
Read the release:… pic.twitter.com/cNGRVQSEfW
Sheriff's post
Sheriff Grady Judd highlighted the arrest in a post on X, linking directly to the department's news release and publicly labeling Olson "a predator." In the message shared by Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, the sheriff urged residents to read the full release for additional details.
Context: recent undercover operations
The arrest comes amid an ongoing push by the sheriff's office targeting trafficking and suspected child-predator activity. In a separate May enforcement effort, the agency reported a multi-agency undercover operation that led to 266 arrests and hundreds of criminal charges. That earlier operation, detailed in a release from the Polk County Sheriff's Office, outlined the scale of recent stings.
Legal consequences
Human trafficking is defined and penalized under Florida law in section 787.06, and certain offenses involving children can carry decades in prison or more in aggravated cases. According to the Florida Senate, that statute sets out the state's human trafficking provisions, while the online-solicitation law, section 847.0135, treats traveling to meet a minor as a second-degree felony. The Florida Senate notes that violations can bring prison time and fines for those convicted.
Olson is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court, and the sheriff's office says the investigation is still active. Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the Polk County Sheriff's Office or Crime Stoppers to assist the probe.
