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

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. 

The Source: This story was written with information provided by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. 

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