By HENRY FREDERICK
Headline Surfer
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- It was a massive operation on a near-unprecedented scale and took an investment in time of seven months in partership with state and federal law enforement agencies, but in the end, Osceola Sheriff Russ Gibson knows greater Kissimmee is a much safer place in terms of being up-to-date on the exact whereabouts of 550 registered sexual offender and predators in Osceola County.
Detectives wuth Osceola Sheriff Gibson's office teamed up with speecial agents with the United States Marshals Service, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and State Probation and Parole in conducting verification of the compliance of the 550 registered sexual offender and predators in this Central Florida county. Of these 550
The compliance operation aptly named Parking Lot Party was funded by the Unites States Marshals Office and ran from Jan. 31 to Aug. 31.
Osceola County Sheriff's Office sex offender detectives, United States Marshals Service Deputies, Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents and State Probation and Parole personnel conducted pro-active investigations to determine if the subjects had correctly reported their residency status, employment, email and social media accounts, campus activity, professional licenses, vehicles and vessels owned and have reported travel information over 72 hours.
In all, 67 sex offenders and predators were arrested for non-compliance.
The operation resulted in three cases which violated the Adam Walsh Act (18 USC 2250(a)) requirement to register after crossing state lines. The three accused individuals will be prosecuted in federal court.
The Law Enforcement personnel involved in this joint operation not only charged the 67 sex offenders and predators among the 550 with the failure to register violations, they conducted a staggering 957 address verifications throughout Osceola County with assistance from cops with the Kissimmee Police Department, the St. Cloud Police Department and State Probation and Parole.
"The operation was successful in assisting the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office in accomplishing and meeting the goals of enforcing state, local and federal laws for non-compliant sexual offender/predators, ultimately making Osceola County communities safer," said Major Jacob Ruiz, the Osceola Sheriff's Office PIO, in an email media alert to Headline Surfer with specifics on this major undertaking.
The Law Enforcement personnel involved in this joint operation not only charged the 67 sex offenders and predators among the 550 with the failure to register violations, they conducted a staggering 957 address verifications throughout Osceola County with assistance from cops with the Kissimmee Police Department, the St. Cloud Police Department and State Probation and Parole.
"The operation was successful in assisting the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office in accomplishing and meeting the goals of enforcing state, local and federal laws for non-compliant sexual offender/predators, ultimately making Osceola County communities safer," said Major Jacob Ruiz, the Osceola Sheriff's Office PIO, in an email media alert to Headline Surfer with specifics on this major undertaking.
Anyone with questions is asked to please call the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office Sex Offender Unit at 321-697-4416 or 321-697-4371 for any sexual offender or sexual predator concerns or for additional information.
Interactive Searches
Those of you living in Osceola County can search your neighborhood for sexual offenders or sexual predators by going to https://offender.fdle.state.fl.us or by downloading the Osceola County Sheriffs’ Office application and selecting the sex offenders icon.