LAKE CITY, Fla. (WCJB) – A man from Tampa has been arrested for trying to meet up with two children for a sexual encounter.
In June, both the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and Tampa Police Department participated in an undercover operation targeting individuals looking to exploit children for sexual purposes.
Through this investigation, Jose Portal, 35, was having sexually explicit conversations and sending nude photos to detectives that he believed were children.
Portal made arrangements to meet one child in Columbia County and the other in Tampa.
Detectives say once they identified Portal, they discovered he was already on federal probation for another crime.
Portal was then arrested on June 30 in Tampa. After his arrest, he confessed to his crimes to detectives, and evidence was found on his phone.
He was charged with using a computer to lure, seduce, and solicit a child, using a 2-way communication device to facilitate a felony, and distributing, transmitting, and showing obscene material to a minor.
Portal is being held with no bond.
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