A Lakeland man was arrested in a child-predator sting at a Walt Disney World backstage location. He was arrested in the sting.
According to WKMG ClickOrlando, Orange County deputies arrested a Lakeland man in a child-predator sting at a Walt Disney World backstage location.
He faces charges of solicitation of a minor via computer, transmission of harmful material to minors, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
Arrested Behind the Scenes at Disney
The arrest took place at a Walt Disney World backstage location.
Disney has not responded to questions about whether the man was an employee of Walt Disney World, the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, or a third-party contractor, or how he came to have access to the backstage location. That leaves open the question of exactly what brought him to that backstage location.
Why the Charges Don't Hinge on an Actual Child
Under Florida Statute § 847.0135(3), using a computer or electronic communication device to solicit or entice a minor — or someone believed to be a minor — for unlawful sexual conduct is a felony, according to the Brancato Law Firm. Florida Statute § 934.215 treats unlawful use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony as a separate third-degree offense punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine, per Meltzer & Bell.
Florida law does not require an actual child victim for these solicitation charges to stick. The Brancato Law Firm explains that criminal liability can attach when a suspect believes he is communicating with or soliciting a minor. That principle can apply in undercover decoy operations.
Part of a Broader Pattern of Central Florida Stings
The arrest fits a pattern of undercover operations that Orange County detectives have run repeatedly in recent months. Just last month, Hoodline reported that Orange County deputies arrested a 64-year-old man who believed he was meeting a 13-year-old boy on social media; an undercover detective had posed as the boy. He faced the same solicitation and two-way communication device charges. In May 2026, the same sheriff's office used an undercover Snapchat sting, with a detective posing as a 14-year-old boy, to arrest former Exodus International president Alan Chambers.
The Central Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force comprises 67 partner agencies spanning 17 counties dedicated to monitoring online networks for exploitation.
Disney Workers Have Been Caught Before
Byrne's arrest at a Disney-adjacent facility also echoes earlier cases involving theme park staff. In March 2022, Polk County authorities arrested 108 suspects in a sting called Operation March Sadness 2, which included three Walt Disney World employees — one a resort lifeguard charged with transmitting harmful material to a minor. During separate multi-agency operations in June 2022 and June 2023, Central Florida law enforcement also arrested a Disney bus driver while he was in uniform, along with another Disney worker, on child pornography and solicitation charges.
The man was transported to the Orange County Jail following his arrest. No further court dates were available at the time of publication.
