JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – An undercover operation with law enforcement officers posing as 13- and 14-year-olds on the internet has resulted in 21 arrests of men from Florida and Georgia on charges of soliciting minors for sex, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office announced Monday.
Sheriff Mike Williams announced the results of Operation Watchdog, conducted with Northeast Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force that spent five days last week posing as minors on social media and in chat rooms.
Williams said 18 men ages 21 to 61 and from as far north as Snellville, Georgia, to Silver Springs, Florida, were arrested after traveling to Jacksonville thinking they were going to meet an underage girl or boy for sex. Three more were arrested after additional investigation.
One person arrested in the sting was Kyle Parmenter, 24, an assistant to a third-grade teacher at Palencia Elementary School. St. Johns County school officials said he was hired in October after his background check came back clean. The school district suspended Parmenter (pictured below) with pay after his arrest.
The principal of Palencia Elementary sent a message to families of students at the school:
"Palencia Elementary families,
"I would like to begin by reiterating that our first priority at PES is always the safety of our students. As was reported this morning, Mr. Parmenter, one of our staff members has been arrested as a suspect in an online child sex sting. We were made aware of his potential involvement last week and worked in cooperation with the St. Johns Sheriff’s Office (SJSO) and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO). We immediately took action as a district by suspending Mr. Parmenter with pay pending the outcome of our internal investigation which is standard procedure. The investigation by the lead agency, JSO, was ongoing last week and we were directed not to provide any information that would hinder their efforts in this operation. Mr. Parmenter has not been on campus since we were contacted by the SJSO.
"At this time we know what we have read and heard in the media and from the JSO press conference held earlier today with regard to the scope of the investigation.
"Student safety at PES is paramount and is a regular topic of discussion among staff, parents and students. I have made the request to the district office to have counselors on standby in the event that we need their assistance tomorrow. I appreciate your continued support and dedication as we work through this difficult situation."
Parents at Palencia were alarmed and disgusted by the thought that a teacher could be capable of molesting a young child.
"It's gross. It's unimaginable," Ryan Lahey said. "Couldn’t imagine that someone like that could be around children."
Two men resisted violently and had to be subdued. One of them, Cody Thatcher, 21, tried to drive off and struck a JSO police cruiser while trying to escape, Williams said. He was also charged with battery on a law enforcement officer.
The man accused of traveling the farthest thinking he would meet a child for sex was Jerry Thomas, 52, who was already on probation on a sex crime conviction in Georgia.
Others arrested in the sting were 25-year-old Abdul Alkhaedei, a former student at the University of North Florida, and David Lee Hammett, 36, a Publix employee.
The Clay County and St. Johns County sheriff's offices, Orange Park police, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the State Attorney's Office all assisted in the case.
Williams ended his announcement with a message directed at children and teenagers.
"Kids: Make sure your parents know when you are online and what you are doing. Never give out any personal information to anyone in chat rooms or apps or on social media. Never send a picture to anyone over the internet. Never communicate with someone who makes you feel uncomfortable or scared on any of these platforms. Never meet with anyone you communicate with online, and tell your parents right away if you receive any inappropriate communications or see anything that makes you feel the least way uncomfortable. Remember, people you meet online may not be who they say they are," Williams said.
The sheriff also reminded parents that their involvement is key to child safety in every area and especially on the internet.