STUART, Fla. (CBS12) — A significant arrest was made in Stuart, detectives saying they stopped a predator before he could harm a child.
The Stuart Police Department announced on Thursday that detectives, working alongside the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, began an investigation in September when a man initiated online conversations with a Stuart Police Detective posing as a 13-year-old girl. Within days, the suspect acknowledged her age and location but continued sending sexually explicit messages while planning a trip from Boca Raton to Stuart to meet her.
On the day of the planned meeting, Vincent J. Eterno, 48, arrived in Stuart expecting to meet the minor. Instead, he was greeted by Stuart Police Detectives and taken into custody.
Eterno faces multiple criminal counts, including:
Travel to meet a minor after using a computer to solicit, entice, or lure a minor to engage in illegal acts or unlawful sexual conductUse of a computer to solicit, lure, or entice a minor to commit an illegal act or engage in unlawful sexual conduct with a childUse of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony
Authorities remind parents to monitor their children’s activities and communications on computers, cell phones, gaming consoles, and tablets.
See also: Truck driver accused in deadly Turnpike crash appears virtually; defense makes new demands
“This arrest sends a strong message,” Stuart Police said in a statement. “We will protect our children, bring predators to justice, and relentlessly continue to do so.”
Find more ways to stay up to date with your latest local news. Sign up for our newsletter to get the day’s top headlines delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the biggest stories and can’t miss video.