County Residents Among Group Arrested In Sex Sting

    Detectives assigned to the Lake County sheriff’s Intelligence Unit recently concluded a four-day undercover operation targeting those who attempt to meet children online for sexual activity. The investigation, dubbed Operation Flip Flop, resulted in 10 arrests for various sex-related charges.
    Detectives conducted the operation from an undisclosed location, during which they posed online as either a 13- or 14-year-old child. The subjects traveled to a predetermined location with the intent to have sex with whom they thought was the child and were taken into custody upon arrival.
    Scott Allen Fureman of Leesburg, Frederick Curtis of Eustis, and Billy Childress of Sorrento were all arrested during the operation; they are all registered sex offenders.
    “These arrests illustrate the importance of continuing these operations to protect our children,” said Lake County Sheriff Peyton Grinnell. “Parents need to know who their children are communicating with on the internet.”
    This operation would not have been possible without the cooperation and support from the Central Florida Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Polk and Seminole County Sheriff’s Offices, as well as the Orlando, Sanford, and Altamonte Springs Police Departments.
    A total of 45 employees from the various agencies actively participated in the operation.