HOMESTEAD, Fla. — An undercover law enforcement operation netted a 46-year-old sexual predator suspect who was homeless in Miami-Dade County and had a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold, records showed.
The undercover operation that resulted in the arrest of Yonel Molina on Tuesday in Homestead started online during a child exploitation probe and ended at a park, according to a police officer’s arrest report.
Molina asked who he thought was a 15-year-old boy “to meet at the park to play” and “to delete their messages,” according to the Homestead police officer’s arrest report.
Molina brought gifts: “Pepsi, water, and a bag of Cheetos,” and he “made several remarks to solicit and entice sex acts,” “began groping,” and told him “to go to another location because if anyone were to see him they would take him to jail for child molestation.”
Police officers detained Molina and questioned him at the Homestead Police Department’s station before arresting him shortly before 4 p.m. on Tuesday, according to the police report.
Miami-Dade corrections booked Molina at 9:10 p.m. on Tuesday at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, according to inmate records.
Molina faced a charge of computer pornography; prohibited computer usage; traveling to meet minor. Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Richard Hersch was set to preside over the case.
Safety tips from the FBI
The FBI warns that crimes against children usually begin with an online connection, so experts urge parents to have open communication with their kids about the risks.
- Educate yourself about the websites, software, games, and apps that your children use.
- Check kids’ social media and gaming profiles and posts. Have conversations about what is appropriate to say or share.
- Explain to your kids that once images or comments are posted online, they can be shared with anyone and never truly disappear.
- Use privacy settings to restrict access to kids’ online profiles.
- Encourage kids to choose appropriate screen names and to create strong passwords.
- Make it a rule with your kids that they can’t arrange to meet up with someone they met online without your knowledge and supervision.
Local 10 News Assignment Editor Carson Merlo contributed to this report.
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