JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 41-year-old man was arrested Friday in connection with “Operation Checkmate,” a multi-day Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office investigation targeting people who use the internet to solicit children for sex, the sheriff’s office said.
Jermaine Lonon is facing charges after using an online site to solicit what he believed were teenage girls for sex, the sheriff’s office said. The people he contacted were actually undercover detectives, the office said, and Lonon continued to solicit them even after they told him their ages.
Lonon did not travel to meet either person, but detectives obtained a warrant after the operation ended, and a U.S. Marshals Task Force arrested him at his Westside apartment on July 10, the sheriff’s office said.
With Lonon’s arrest, the operation has resulted in 31 men being taken into custody, officials said. Authorities said they still have an outstanding warrant for another suspect identified during the operation.
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The sheriff’s office also said it has a dedicated Internet Crimes Against Children Unit with detectives working around the clock to identify and stop people who exploit children online.
Anyone who suspects someone is trying to lure a child online is asked to notify the CyberTipline at 1-800-THE-LOST, the sheriff’s office said.