Cyber-predator sting in Citrus County leads to 15 arrests

LECANTO, Fla. - The Citrus County Sheriff says perverts tried to play their game in the wrong town.

On Monday, he announced the arrest of 15 people who traveled from all over the region to have sex with underage teens.

The sheriff's office released a video showing bits and pieces of the arrests being made.

"(One suspect) was just shocked about what was happening, and why he was under arrest," said Sheriff Mike Prendergast.

He says detectives logged on to social media apps posing as teens and soon received explicit pictures and detailed, dirty descriptions of what grownups wanted to do with them.

READ: Polk deputies shot in the line of duty released from hospital: 'Our guys are home'

"As long as it's got that chat function that's out there so that the children can text back and forth with somebody, that can be exploited," said Prendergast.

Among others, John Baretla of Brooksville, Freddy Reyes of Tampa, Kymani Bruan of Ocala, and Joseph Sysol, also of Brooksville, face charges like traveling to seduce a child, transmission of harmful material to a minor and unlawful use of a two-way device. 

Sysol is charged with possession of child porn, and, the sheriff says, worked as a federal corrections officer.

"Instead of paying attention to what he was supposed to be doing with an inmate that he was on duty guarding, he was chatting with what he thought was a child," Prendergast said of Sysol.

READ: Florida man shot woman pregnant with twins multiple times over Palmetto crash: MCSO

The sheriff says these cases are proof that parents need to be well aware that no matter how above board an app might seem if a child is using it, parents need to be hyper-aware of who they are talking to on it. 

No teens were harmed this time, and the sheriff wants to keep it that way.

"Have serious conversations with your children about the consequences of what could happen to them, and if they chat with somebody like this," Prendergast said. 

The fifteen people arrested will collectively face more than sixty charges.

Several of them are being held without bond, but others have been released and are awaiting trial.

The following people were arrested in Citrus County during this operation:

• John Steven Baretela Jr. was charged with traveling to seduce/solicit a child in a sex act and transmission of harmful material to a minor.
• Fredy Guillerno Betancourth Reyes has been charged with traveling to seduce/solicit a child in a sex act, 3 counts of transmission of harmful material to a minor, and solicitation of a minor.
• Kymani Josiah Bryan is facing charges of traveling to seduce/solicit a child in a sex act and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
• Mitchel Ryan Carter was arrested for traveling to seduce/solicit a child in a sex act, 8 counts of possession of child pornography, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
• John Edward Hughes Jr. has been charged with traveling to seduce/solicit a child in a sex act and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
• Jose Alejandro Santana was arrested for traveling to seduce/solicit a child in a sex act and 4 counts of transmission of harmful material to a minor.
• Joseph Henry Sysol is facing charges of traveling to seduce/solicit a child in a sex act, transmission of harmful material to a minor, and 12 counts of possession of child pornography.
• James Patton Dillman was charged with transmitting harmful material to a minor.

The following people were arrested on Citrus County warrants as part of this operation:

• Stephen Anthony Cisneros is facing 2 counts of transmission of harmful material to a minor.
• Debra Fuller was arrested for sex offender failure to report to the sheriff's office within 48 hours of vacating/relocating and sex offender failure to update telephone number within 48 hours.
• Dylan Kelly was charged with sex offender failure to report to the sheriff's office within 48 hours of vacating/relocating and sex offender failure to report in person within 48 hours to DHSMV.
• William Joseph Lamberson faces 6 counts of harmful material to a minor and solicitation of a minor.
• Robert James Lewis faces 3 counts of harmful material to a minor and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
• Mark Lloyd Robinson was charged with 3 counts of harmful material to a minor
• Ivy Tendler was arrested for sex offender failure to report to the sheriff's office within 48 hours of vacating/relocating.

SIGN UP: Click here to sign up for the FOX 13 daily newsletter