NORTH PORT, Fla. — A 25-year-old man went to meet up with a who he thought was a 14-year-old girl, but instead, he was met by a North Port Police detective and arrested.
Harold Junior Castro Rodriguez, from Palmetto, drove to a park in North Port Park where was expecting to meet a 14-year-old girl to have sex with according to NPPD.
Instead of meeting with the 14-year-old girl, he met with members of the North Port Police Department Team and was arrested.
Rodriguez was charged with using an electronic device to lure and then meet a child and an additional charge of using a communication device to facilitate a felony.
NPPD’s Crimes Against Children Task Force works to stop adult predators from reaching out to children with bad intentions.
NPPD had a detective in disguise as a 14-year-old girl on the messaging app.
“This should be a warning to anyone who is reaching out to the children of our City. You may not be talking with who you think you are. We will do everything within our authority to protect our kids and we will do everything within the law to hold you accountable. I am thankful and proud of the dedicated men and women of this Department who fight for our smallest residents."
Rodriguez is currently in the Sarasota County Jail with no bond.
