Fifty men, including at least one teacher, were arrested in a Seminole County child predator sting.
The large scale bust was dubbed “Operation Cardea,” involving 17 agencies and lots of undercover work.
"Hours and hours of chatting and texting and sending of photographs. Knowing that these suspects ranged in ages 19 to 60. Many were professionals and some jobs that even were dealing with kids. It’s extremely alarming,” said Chief Deputy Dennis Lemma from the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office.
One of the 50 arrested was Duncain St. Gelais, who was a teacher at New Smyrna Beach High School when the sting went down.
Detectives said he was looking to have sex with a 14-year-old girl.
"He teaches English to 9th and 10th graders. He connected up with a mother he said he though was ‘open-minded.’ He negotiating and preparing to have sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old female. He sent us his actual photograph and was quoted by saying he has a lot to lose,” Lemma said.
Deputies said many of the men sent lewd photos that were disturbing to look at.
"The ones that were received from the defendant tore at the fabric of my being, in every sense of the imagination, some of the worse stuff I have ever seen. And I have seen quite a bit,” said Sgt. Charlie Albrecht.
Investigators said catching the men was easy, and they could keep the arrests coming, if time and resources made it possible.
''I'm certain we could,” Albrecht said. “We had a couple that actually said, as they walk out of the house being arrested, coming out of the house being handcuffed, saying ‘thank God you're not Chris Hansen.’”
Many of the defendants had their first appearance in front of a judge Monday.
The investigation continues as deputies are confident many of these men may have tried to have sex with underage children before. They’ll be searching for any possible victims.