Uber driver, after-school daycare teacher among 6 arrested in undercover child sexual predator sting: PCSO

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Six men have been arrested following a multi-county, week-long, undercover focused on sexual predators who target children, solicit children online, and travel to an undercover location to sexually batter children.

According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, during the operation, detectives posed as children and guardians of children on social media platforms, mobile apps, and online dating sites to investigate those who prey upon and travel to meet children for unlawful sexual activity.

"Any time parents allow children to use social media at all, they got to monitor it nonstop because these folks are out here lurking around on these social media apps of different kinds to find your child, to groom your child, and to have sex with your child."

The operation ran concurrently from Sept. 19 to Sept. 25 with the human trafficking undercover operation that resulted in 219 arrests.

READ: Polk County teacher, Disney employees among 219 arrested in human trafficking-focused bust: PCSO 

Sheriff Grady Judd briefed the media about "Operation Child Protector IV," announcing that among the men arrested were an after-school daycare teacher, the owner of a house cleaning business, and an Uber driver.

Douglas Cooley, 26, was an employee with an aftercare program in Apopka, and, according to Sheriff Judd, he was prepared to pay to have sex with a 15-year-old in the undercover operation. 

According to Judd, a 40-year-old husband and father of four daughters was also among the six men arrested. Sheriff Judd said he was attempting to have sex with a 13-year-old. 

"We will continue these operations," Sheriff Judd said. "We're going to protect the children, not only of Polk County and Florida but around the country and the world from these kind of deviant actors. That night, they would have all attacked children had it not been an undercover operation." 

Chris Hansen, the popular host of 'To Catch a Predator,' was involved in one of the arrests in the sting, according to Sheriff Judd. 

Judd added that the Polk County Sheriff's Office had never been involved with the ‘To Catch a Predator’ series prior to this operation.