Manatee County Sheriff’s Office arrested 35 men in the second installment of “Operation Green Shepherd.” During the online sex sting, detectives trolled the internet posing as an underage child in an attempt to set up a meeting at a house. The men who arrived at the house were met at the door by deputies who quickly arrested them with cameras filming the whole thing.
The men arrested are being charged with travel to seduce/solicit/entice a child to commit a sexual act, use of a computer to seduce/solicit/entice a child to commit a sexual act, and attempted lewd and lascivious. With this latest sting, the number of men arrested during the last six months in Sarasota and Manatee County for allegedly soliciting sex from a minor increased to more than 100.
Getting Arrested in an “Undercover Online Sex Sting.”
As we’ve seen with the media coverage of “Operation Green Shepherd II,” the names and careers of those arrested are in the headlines. Now a teacher, U.S. Dept. of Defense employee, a youth choir leader, and a nursing assistant have all been labeled “sexual predators” before getting a chance to fight the charges in court. That’s why it’s important to have an experienced criminal defense attorney, like Mark Zimmerman, represent you right away. Mark is a board certified criminal defense lawyer and has a successful record of helping clients beat charges in cases like this. He can tell you exactly where to go from here to protect your rights and will work with you and your family through the entire process.
Your Car Was Seized. Now What.
During Operation Green Shepherd II, deputies confiscated seven cars from those arrested. Legally, officers have to show that there’s a relationship between the crime and the use of the car, but that’s all. The link can be circumstantial to seize the vehicle. Eventually, the courts will explain your rights in a forfeiture case, but that still leaves you without a car. Your criminal defense attorney needs to tackle both the arrest charges and the forfeiture of your car at the same time, even though they are two separate cases. Mark Zimmerman has helped clients get back thousands of dollars in seized property while also defending them in high profile criminal cases.
Mark Zimmerman, Board Certified Criminal Defense Lawyer
With criminal charges pending and your reputation on the line, you need a qualified criminal defense attorney. If you or a member of your family has been caught up in an online sting, you need to get help immediately. Contact Mark Zimmerman at (941) 364-8503 or fill out our online contact form.
