Disney World Employees Arrested in Sex Sting Operation
Three Disney World employees were arrested as part of a larger child sex sting operation in Florida. 20 other men were arrested as part of the seven-day sex sting dubbed "Be Mine" in honor of Valentine's Day.
Robert Kingsolver, 49; Patrick Holgerson, 32; and Joel Torres, 32; were charged with a variety of crimes, including traveling to meet a minor. Other charges include soliciting a child for sexual acts, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and procuring a person under the age of 18 for prostitution. The men all responded to a 13-year-old's online post offering sex.
What they didn't know was that the girl was actually an officer with the Lake County Sheriff's department, and when they showed up to an empty house to meet the "girl," they were taken into custody.
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"They never learn," Sheriff Gary Borders told the Orlando Sentinel. "As long as they're out there, we'll continue to work these operations and put them in jail."
According to Disney spokeswoman Marilyn Waters, the three men have been placed on unpaid leave pending the outcome of the charges, though the scandal is likely to hurt the family-friendly Disney World image.
One suspect, David Griffith, told authorities that he had made plans to meet a 7-year-old for sex. Police then went through his emails and discovered conversations between Griffith and the 7-year-old girl's mother. After authorities spoke with the child, they learned that her mother had sexually abused her. It's unknown what happened with that particular situation.
At least one of the suspects, David Penny, 32, is already a registered sexual offender. His actions showed police that there was a necessity for these stings to be routinely executed. Borders said that "Be Mine" was the third such operation and was very successful. In recent years, the Lake County Sherriff's Office has arrested over 100 people for their participation in sex crimes, all thanks to online activity.
