A 64-year-old man is behind bars in the Orange County Jail after detectives say he arranged to meet someone he believed was a 13-year-old boy, only to find an undercover detective waiting for him instead. John Charles Flannigan was arrested and booked on September 12, according to jail records, and now faces four felony charges.
Detectives with the Orange County Sheriff's Office say Flannigan is charged with traveling to meet a minor, solicitation of a minor, transmission of harmful material to minors, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device, according to the seed post from Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd
. Investigators believe there may be additional victims and are urging anyone with information to come forward.
How the Sting Unfolded
According to the sheriff's office account amplified by Judd, Flannigan attempted to meet someone he believed was a 13-year-old boy, but the purported teen was in fact an undercover detective. Detectives with OCSO say they were able to take what they describe as a predator off the streets before he could harm a child. The office's non-emergency line, 407-836-4357, was provided for anyone with additional information.
Florida law treats this kind of case with serious weight regardless of whether the intended victim turns out to be real. Under Florida Statute § 847.0135(4), traveling or attempting to travel to meet a minor for unlawful sexual conduct is a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in state prison, 15 years of probation, and a $10,000 fine, according to legal analysis from Criminal Attorney Tampa. That statute applies even when the person on the other end of the conversation is an undercover officer rather than an actual child.
An Additional Felony for Digital Communication
Flannigan also faces a separate charge under Florida Statute § 934.215, which makes it an independent felony to use a two-way communication device such as a smartphone or computer to facilitate or further any felony offense, per Buda Law. Florida prosecutors routinely attach this charge whenever electronic messaging is used to set up an in-person meetup, the firm notes. Combined with the transmission and solicitation counts, Flannigan is now facing four distinct felonies.
The Orange County Sheriff's Office has significant digital forensic capacity behind these kinds of cases. The agency's Digital Forensics Squad processed and analyzed over 1,184 electronic devices in 2025 while leading all Internet Crimes Against Children investigations for the department, according to the office's 2025 Annual Report. Investigators believe there may be additional victims connected to Flannigan; the question remains open.
Part of a Broader Pattern of Decoy Operations
Other Recent Enforcement Actions Recent enforcement actions have included similar undercover operations. In May 2026, detectives executed a similar sting using Snapchat and Telegram accounts, leading to the arrest of 54-year-old Alan Chambers for attempting to meet an undercover deputy posing as a 14-year-old boy, according to WKMG ClickOrlando; that suspect was intercepted near Aloma Avenue during a traffic stop. In August 2026, an undercover Snapchat account operated by OCSO detectives led to the arrest of a Springfield, Colorado police officer, after OCSO alerted state investigators that the officer was soliciting an undercover persona online, per the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Hoodline covered that case in a report on the officer's arrest last month.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd publicly posted, “Bravo!” Investigators are urging parents to know what their children are seeing, who they are interacting with, and where they spend time online. Other recent Central Florida enforcement actions include Hoodline's report this week on a Kissimmee man facing 10 felony counts after a state search warrant.
It remains unclear whether Flannigan has posted bond or when his initial court appearance is scheduled. Detectives have not said whether their forensic review of his devices has turned up evidence of the additional victims they suspect may exist.
