HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — Deputies arrested 89 people on more than 1,200 felony charges during a multi-week undercover operation targeting those seeking to sexually exploit children and purchase sex, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
Between Jan. 1 and Feb. 6, HCSO’s Human Trafficking Section and Internet Predator Unit conducted coordinated undercover operations targeting people looking to exploit children.
The suspects believed they were communicating with underage victims and arrived expecting to pay for sex with them, the sheriff’s office said. They were, instead, met by undercover detectives.
In several cases, suspects negotiated prices and planned logistics with someone they believed was willing to sell a child, the agency added.
“In every instance, they were communicating with law enforcement and arranging their own arrest,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said.
Among those arrested was Stephen Fabic, 41, a math teacher at Hillsborough High School.
Fabic offered to pick up a teenager and bring them to his home to engage in sexual activity during conversations with someone he believed to be a minor, the sheriff’s office said.
In another case, John Altieri, 69, arranged for a ride share to pick up a juvenile from their home and bring them to his home to perform sexual acts, HCSO said.
What Altieri didn’t know was that an undercover detective was on the receiving end of his explicit messages and videos. At the time, he was serving home confinement while on probation in Hernando County for two counts of possession of a controlled substance.
A warrant was obtained for his arrest, and detectives coordinated with the Florida Department of Corrections and the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office to take him into custody.
Beyond arrests, the operation also saved victims from ongoing exploitation. The Internet Predator Unit received a cyber tip involving the sexual exploitation of a sleeping two-year-old child. Peter Torres, 42, was identified and arrested, and the child was safely recovered, the agency said.
In a separate case, detectives located a missing 17-year-old girl being exploited for commercial sex. She was safely rescued, and her trafficker, Armani Hopkins, 23, was arrested and charged.
“If you are using a hotel room, a chat app or a fake profile to pursue a child, we are there,” Chroniste said. “Our detectives will follow the digital trail all the way to your door.”
Selah Freedom and One More Child provided victim support services.