OCALA, Fla. — Ocala police say they arrested 20 men in a sting operation for trying to lure children into meetings and having sex.
They’re very concerned about one of the suspects, who is prominent in the equestrian community and has access to children.
Ocala police arrested 37-year-old Josh Faulkner. Investigators are concerned because they say Faulkner trains children on horses.
Ocala Detective Austin Ridge says, “Because we know that he is a youth trainer. He coaches youth. So we’re concerned about any other victims that might be out there that he could have perpetrated against in the past.”
“It’s a shock.” George Dilts says Faulkner is a familiar face in Morriston, where he trains children to ride horses. It’s about 30 minutes from Ocala.
Dilts continues, “He’s always around kids, because the show horses, the kids are always coming up.”
Investigators say Faulkner used chat sites to meet what he thought were children. The exchange from the arrest report is too vulgar to share.
Dilts says, “Very surprised. Because this is an old-school little town. We don’t believe in that.”
Investigators say parents need to know what their kids are doing online and who they’re talking to.
Detective Ridge says, “If you’re not teaching them online safety. Someone else is going to teach them something online and it might not be something that you want them to know.”
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