POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Six Central Florida men are now facing charges after they were caught by Polk County Sheriff Deputies trying to have sex with minors.
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Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd says they were arrested as part of a seven-day undercover operation.
During the operation, deputies posed as children or their guardians to investigate potential predators.
“We will continue these operations. We’re going to protect the children not of only Polk County and of Florida, but around the country and around the world,” said Judd.
Three of the six suspects planned to pay an adult hundreds of dollars to have sex with minors– those three were charged with human trafficking, a life felony.
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Together, the six men are facing 22 felony charges.
The suspects are:
- 40-year-old Jairo Muniz of Kissimmee, Fla.
- 36-year-old Timothy Wellman of Ohio (recently moved to Polk)
- 49-year-old Feras Klisli of Davenport, Fla.
- 46-year-old Douglas Da Silva of Windermere, Fla.
-33-year-old Trevor Walker of Orlando, Fla.
-26-year-old Douglas Cooley of Apopka, Fla.
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One of the six men arrested, Douglas Cooley, was an after-school care employee who worked with students at Clay Springs Elementary in Apopka.
Cooley was not employed by Orange County Schools but he worked for Discover After School.
The aftercare company didn’t confirm how long Cooley was employed through them but did send us a statement addressing the arrest.
A spokesperson said that they have been cooperating with investigators and take this seriously.
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In a statement, a spokesperson said, “Upon learning of Mr. Cooley’s arrest, we immediately terminated his employment and have been fully cooperating with law enforcement authorities.”
The statement also said Discover After School has a strict and comprehensive background screening process in place for all potential employees before they are hired.
According to that statement, the company’s primary concern is determining whether there were inappropriate interactions between Cooley and students in their care.
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“Our commitment to the safety and security of our students is unwavering, and we continuously strive to maintain the highest standards of professionalism and ethics within our organization,” the statement reads in part.
According to an Orange County School District spokesperson, parents at Clay Springs Elementary were notified about Douglas Cooley’s arrest.
Discover After School Parent Martha Martinez told us she sends two children to the program at Clay Springs Elementary.
“It’s crazy, it’s scary,” said Martinez, “I received a call that someone got arrested, but other than that, I am just now knowing the details.”
Some parents we spoke to Tuesday evening still had questions about the details but told us they were disgusted by the news.
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