Sex sting bust includes PGA Tour golfer, naked Disney worker and suspected pedophiles

Seven suspected pedophiles, 17 suspected pimps or madams and 46 suspected “johns,” including a PGA Tour golfer and a naked Disney security guard got arrested in Polk County’s annual holiday shopping season sex sting roundup.

This year’s roundup, which began on Dec. 3, got the name “Operation Santa’s Naughty List.”

“It’s a news flash, that we did another undercover operation,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said Wednesday. “Ironically, the only people that don’t seem to get it in the entire county are these folks.”

Judd said his son recently mentioned that it’s about time for another 100-arrest sting. When he asked his son how he knew that, Judd said, his son replied, “Duh! You do it every November and December. And, sometimes, May and June.”

Also arrested for offering to commit prostitution were 53 people, seven of which are considered human trafficking victims.

The Pedophile Suspect Arrests

Of the suspected pedophiles, PCSO said, five were arrested on charges of traveling with the intent to sexually harm a child. The other two made contact online. The seven were, in alphabetical order:

▪ Davenport resident Pierre Alvarez, 21 — Alvarez rode his bike to the undercover location to meet what he thought was a 12-year-old girl. PCSO said, he came prepared for sex, with a condom in pocket when arrested.

▪ Brandon resident Joshua Bryant, 23 — PCSO said after Bryant talked online with an undercover pretending to be a 14-year-old boy, he headed for the hookup point. He swung around when he sensed something wrong, but crashed into an undercover car. Judd said Bryant told the undercover, “When your family reports you missing tomorrow, I’ll have you hidden in my room.”

▪ Orlando resident Benjamin Castaneda, 24 — Castaneda sent nude photos for himself as a preview to the undercover officer acting as a 13-year-old girl. PCSO said Castaneda drove to what he thought would be a hookup location less than two hours after his first messages.

▪ Davenport resident Anthony Gavin, 33 — Gavin brought condoms to what he thought was a sexual rendezvous with a 14-year-old boy, PCSO said, but claimed, “I don’t want to be labeled a pedophile.”

▪ Davenport resident Demetrius Gonzalez, 26 — PCSO said Gonzalez rolled up to what he thought was his meeting with a 14-year-old boy with lubricant, condoms and Xanax. Judd said Gonzalez described his sexual activity as “he normally stays down at the adult end of the pool. but occasionally he likes to go to the kiddie end of the pool” and claimed he was a former counselor at Camp Integrity, a kids camp in Burlingham, New York.

▪ Palm Harbor resident Matthew Minardi, 22 — PCSO said Minardi sent nude photos to himself to at least one of the two 13-year-old girls he thought he was chatting with online. Judd said he told one of those two undercover detectives he wanted to arrange a threesome with another adult.

▪ Kissimmee resident William Stemmermann, 53 — Judd said Stemmerman told the online undercover officer he thought was a 13-year-old girl he “was fixed, so don’t worry, you can’t get pregnant” and “wear something sexy and easy to get out of.”

The Soliciting Prostitution Suspects

Of the 46 men arrested on the first degree misdemeanor charge of soliciting another for prostitution, PCSO said, 30 claimed to be married and another said he was engaged.

Some of the standouts by interesting details:

▪ Winter Garden resident Rodney Davis, 56 — The Disney security guard allegedly showed up to the undercover house even more ready to do business than the normal such customer.

“This guy walked up to the front door of this home in a neighborhood on a cool evening buck naked,” Judd said. “If you don’t know the difference between naked and ‘buck naked,’ ‘buck naked’ means you’re not even wearing your socks. He didn’t have a stitch of clothes on, but he was carrying a shirt.”

▪ Hartsfield, South Carolina resident Tommy “Two Gloves” Gainey, 44 — Gainey’s been on the PGA Tour since 2008 with one win, the 2012 McGladrey Classic. The PGA Tour website says the “Two Gloves” nickname (PCSO says he’s also known as “Boogie”) comes from Gainey wearing two golf gloves when he plays, a habit that started in childhood. Judd said Gainey said he was in town for a charity golf tournament.

▪ Mulberry resident Robert Johns, 32 — “How can you have an undercover operation without a pastor?” Judd asked. He said Johns was a pastor at New Horizons Church in Haines City.

“He said, ‘It just came over my cell phone all but itself,’” Judd said. “That’s interesting. We all have cell phones. Do y’all just have prostitutes search you up?

“Not only is he a pastor, not only did he solicit sex, but I think he kind of b.s.’ed us a little bit, too,” Judd said. “I don’t know what you say about that other than “Jesus ain’t gonna be happy.””