3 Disney World employees and registered nurse among group arrested in child sex sting: sheriff
Polk Co. Sheriff
POLK COUNTY, Fla. - An undercover child sex sting in Florida led to the arrests of over a dozen predators, including three Disney World employees and a registered nurse, investigators said Tuesday.
In total, 17 people were taken into custody in the operation dubbed "Operation Child Protector" and face a total of 49 felony and two misdemeanor charges, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd announced during a press conference.
The suspects communicated with and solicited who they thought were children before showing up at separate times to an undercover location in Polk County to meet and sexually batter them, authorities said.
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Kenneth Javier Aquino, a 26-year-old lifeguard at Disney World’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, was arrested still wearing his Disney polo shirt, swimming trunks and Crocs, the sheriff’s office said. Aquino allegedly conversed online with what he thought was a 13-year-old girl, asking her to send photos, and sending her an explicit video of himself.
Grady said Aquino has a girlfriend who is 7 months pregnant with his child and told deputies he is a Navy veteran.
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Others arrested included Jonathan McGrew, 34, and his girlfriend Savannah Lawrence, 29, who told deputies they were both custodians at Walt Disney World Hollywood Studios.
McGrew had sparked a conversation with an undercover detective he thought was a 13-year-old girl, telling her he wanted to engage in a threesome with her and his girlfriend, the sheriff’s office said. He allegedly sent the "girl" videos of him and his girlfriend performing sex acts on each other.
McGrew and Lawrence arrived together at the undercover location and were taken into custody, the sheriff’s office said.
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