News Release - Orlando Man Gets Nearly 2 Years for Traveling to Meet "Child" for Sex

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Attorney General Bill McCollum News Release

November 13, 2008

en Español

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Media Contact: Sandi Copes
Phone: (850) 245-0150

Orlando Man Gets Nearly 2 Years for Traveling to Meet "Child" for Sex

~ Man was arrested last July during undercover internet operation in Polk County ~

TALLAHASSEE, FL - Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced that an Orange County man has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for traveling to meet someone he thought was a child, intending to have sex with her. Charles Roitman was arrested during a July 2007 undercover internet operation in Polk County and was convicted by a Polk County jury in September of attempted lewd and lascivious battery of a child. He was prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution.

The undercover operation, led by Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd's Office, netted the arrests of 25 individuals who, over the course of only four days, traveled to Polk County believing they were meeting a child for sex. Undercover detectives used chat rooms and instant messaging to direct suspects to the location. Roitman, 27, was arrested after he traveled from his home in Orlando intending to meet someone he thought was a 14-year old girl and have sex with her.

The two-week-long operation, dubbed “Operation Guardian,” included detectives, officers and special agents from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Plant City Police Department, all working in conjunction with members of the State Attorney’s Office and the Office of Statewide Prosecution. The Central Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is coordinated by Sheriff Judd’s Office.

The Office of Statewide Prosecution charged Roitman with attempted lewd and lascivious battery on a minor and the jury took less than three hours to return the guilty verdict. Today's sentencing was handed down by Circuit Judge Michael Raiden of the 10th Judicial Circuit. Roitman will also have to serve two years of community control following his release.