POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Nearly 40 people were arrested in an undercover sting targeting people who traveled to Polk County for the sole purpose to have sex with minors and online prostitution, deputies said.

The undercover sting took place from May 15 to May 21.

The men responded to online ads they thought were from children, but were really from undercover detectives, deputies said.

"These predators are really out there, trying to violate children. All it takes is one glance at the conversations these predators have with our undercover detectives. They lurk in chat rooms and online, ready to groom and violate your children. Fortunately, we've prevented at least 19 of them from doing so. The things that these predators say to children are vile, disgusting and not fit for anyone except trained detectives to read. And even seasoned, trained detectives are repulsed. These predators need to be locked up, and stay locked up and away from children,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd in a news release.

The suspects solicited who they thought were children as young as 10 years old for sex acts, deputies said.

Six of the suspects are from Polk County, Davenport, Haines City, Kissimmee, Lake Wales, and Lakeland, deputies said.

The other 13 people drove from Orlando, Plant City, Brandon, Tampa, Pasco County, Ocala, Jacksonville, Pinnellas County, Cocoa and Palm Bay to meet the children for sex, deputies said.

Traveling to meet a minor arrests:

Alan John Lovejoy, 41, of Lakeland

Emmanuel Vincent, 25, Cocoa

Michael Grove, 26, Davenport

Omar Paz, 21, Plant City

Nicholas Ramos, 20, Palm Bay

Matthew Craig Booth, 19, Orlando

Wayne Keith Parry, 53, Orlando

Mohamed Catila, 27, Orlando

Victor Sayan-Arias, 29, Brandon

Eric Norris, 28, Jacksonville

Juan Carlos Castro, 35, Lakeland

Tyler Duncan, 26, Tampa

Fouad Jelda, 29, Kissimmee

Robert Wright, 55, Hudson

Robert Heintz, 41, Kissimmee

Arnaldo Madera, 30, Orlando

Donnie Hallock, 31, Orlando

Reginald Donnell Neal, 20, Haines City

Raul Alberto Rivera, 21, Pinellas Park

Child pornography arrest:

Todd Alan Sebring, 49, Lake Wales

Prostitution-related arrests:

Cassandra Zepeda, 23, unknown location

Robert Heard, 47, Winter Haven

Joseph William Bil, 21, Ocala

Leah Alessandrini, 33, Davenport

Cheri Malkemes, 26, Davenport

Dushaun Mohammed Bonaparte, 23, Orlando

David Oliverso, 32, Davenport

Sara Rochell Thomas, 25, Davenport

Robert Alexander Zarate, 45, Davenport

Kimberly Rose, 48, Ocala

Ramon Vendrell, 27, Davenport

Raevon McBride, 26, Kissimmee

Khody Sanford, 22, Highland Park, MI

Vanessa Renee James, 29, Orlando

Samuel Edward Nelsen, 32, Clermont

Aaron Realmuto, 27, Winter Garden

Paula Zuniga-Casteneda, 28, Orlando

Diana Espinosa, 26, Orlando

Richard Weisburg, 60, Clermont

Cox Media Group