SEBRING, FLa. - More than two dozen registered sex offenders in Highlands County were arrested for using online accounts, according to the sheriff's office Special Victims Unit.
The Highlands County Sheriff's Office launched Operation Disconnect only one week ago and already caught 26 registered sex offenders who were either banned from having internet access at all or who failed to report their internet usage to the sheriff's office, as part of their probation. Each failure to report is a felony offense.
The investigation also revealed several subjects with active warrants in Special Victims Unit cases.
The Highlands County Sheriff's Office said Operation Disconnect is ongoing and "any sexual offenders or predators who think they may have some things on their registrations they need to clear up should come see us before we come find you."
Sex offenders are required to report, in person, to the sheriff’s office in the county where they live to register and must update their home or temporary address, phone number(s), email address(es), online identifiers or aliases, employment, vehicle, school, and travel, as well as scars, marks and tattoos.
Arrests include:
- Frank Allen Baxter, 61, 51 counts of sexual offender registration violation, violation of probation
- James R. Whittemore, Sr., 65, sexual offender registration violation
- Robert Adam Warren, 32, 37 counts of sexual offender registration violation, violation of probation
- Yair Manual Vegas, 21, eight counts sexual offender registration violation, violation of probation
- Kevin Leroy Rice, 60, sexual offender registration violation, absconded sex offender from Texas
- Quindre Randolph, 35, warrant for three counts of sexual battery on a victim under 12
- Ricky Lynn Mattox, 60, 51 counts of sexual predator registration violation, violation of probation
- Paul Roy Peters, 33, 10 counts of sexual offender registration violation, on federal probation
- Timothy Lee Pearson, 32, 70 counts of sexual offender registration violation, violation of probation
- Wiliam Eugene Martin, 29, warrant for five counts of possession of child pornography
- Jeffrey Harold Parsons, 56, 17 counts of sexual offender registration violation, violation of probation
- Magdaleno Malagon-Villegas, 49, warrant for one count of sexual offender registration violation
- William Jerome Crumity, 63, seven counts of sexual offender registration violation, violation of probation
- Andrew Tyrone Crump, 50, violation of probation
- Prince Phillip Cody, 49, warrant for one count of sexual offender registration violation
- David Bruce Cerling, 50, 55 counts of sexual offender registration violation
- Stanley Kent Heuerman, 61, 83 counts of sexual offender registration violation, violation of probation
- William Michael Goodhue, 52, warrant for felony domestic battery
- Christopher D. Friend, 27, two counts of sexual offender registration violation, violation of probation
- Michael Ortiz, 53, 12 counts of sexual offender registration violation, violation of probation
- Jefferson D. Scales, III, 54, 33 counts of sexual offender registration violation, on federal probation
- Timothy Earl Barber, 52, 17 counts of sexual offender registration violation, violation of probation
- Alton Dale Wiliams, 54, absconded sex offender from Texas
- Gabriel H. Gutierrez, Jr., 50, 55 counts of sexual offender registration violation, violation of probation
- Paul Francis Federico, 64, 30 counts of sexual offender registration violation, violation of probation
- Jonathan Lugo, 35, sexual offender registration violation, violation of probation
Anyone with information about a sexual predator or predatory behavior is asked to contact the Highlands County Sheriff's Office at detectives@highlandssheriff.org or 863-402-7357. OUtside of Highlands County, tips may be submitted to Crime Stoppers.