Nearly 50 Florida sex offenders arrested after being caught with unreported online dating accounts: FDLE

TAMPA, Fla. - If you’re looking for love on the dating apps this Valentine’s Day, you may want to double-check who you’ve been communicating with after investigators say nearly 50 registered sex offenders/predators in Florida were arrested for having unreported online dating accounts. 

The backstory:

The FDLE teamed up with the Tampa Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service for Operation Matchmaker. 

It was a year-long operation that targeted sexual offender and sexual predator registrants who had unreported online dating accounts in violation of Florida’s registration laws.

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The joint operation was conducted in partnership with Match Group Americas, which owns/operates multiple dating applications, including match.com, used throughout the country. 

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Forty-four people were arrested during Operation Matchmaker after investigators say they discovered online dating accounts associated with registered sexual offenders/predators. 

FDLE says all confirmed accounts were immediately terminated by Match Group Americas per their user agreement policies which prohibit sexual offenders and predators from accessing their applications. 

Those arrested include: 

• Jose Aguirre, sexual offender
• Charles Allen, sexual predator
• Donnell Armstead, sexual offender
• Nicolas Bergin, sexual offender
• Marcus Bostic, sexual offender
• Jack Bozeman, sexual offender
• Donald Brown, sexual offender
• Christopher Burston, sexual offender
• David Coronel, sexual offender
• Anna Cosenza, sexual offender
• Gary Daughtry, sexual offender
• Jacob Doyle, sexual offender
• Isaac Edwards, sexual offender
• Gary Eichner, sexual offender
• Garry Gallagher, sexual offender
• Bernard Gold, sexual offender
• Julius Halyard, sexual PREDATOR
• Chad Hanson, sexual offender
• James Hill, sexual offender
• Daimanion Jones, sexual predator
• Johnnie Lane, sexual offender
• Gregory Miller, sexual predator
• Cheryl Vazquez, sexual predator
• Jorge Nieto, sexual offender
• Jacqueline Numata, sexual offender
• Stephen Olman, sexual predator
• Arthur Passeri, sexual offender
• Geremi Pierce, sexual offender
• Howard Renew, sexual offender
• Salvador Rivera, sexual offender
• Anthony Rodriguez, sexual offender
• Ian Rouse, sexual offender
• Michael Rowland, sexual offender
• Paul Shamonsky, sexual offender
• Matthew Spedding, sexual offender
• William Stratman, sexual offender
• Guarionex Villate, sexual offender
• Bakeebakeem Whitfield, sexual offender

Click here to search Florida’s sex offender registry. 

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