Crime & Public Safety
Epic Universe employee arrested in Orange County after undercover online sting
Orange County deputies arrested a theme-park employee they say sought to meet what he believed was a 14-year-old after contacting the juvenile online. Deputies say the undercover account was operated by an Orange County deputy and that the suspect, identified as a 30-year-old man from Palm Bay, was taken into custody at his workplace at Universal’s Epic Universe.
According to the arrest affidavit, the initial contact occurred on a map-based hookup platform and later moved to Snapchat, where the undercover deputy said the account represented a 14-year-old. Deputies allege the suspect asked for nude photos twice and discussed meeting up; they report the meetup did not occur. The affidavit charges the man with two counts of solicitation of a minor and one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device, a third-degree felony.
Investigators say digital warrants and online-account searches were used to link the online profile to the suspect. Deputies reported a chain of electronic leads, including a Snapchat-to-Apple-account connection, selfies showing a Universal name badge, and facial-recognition linking to a Venmo profile that identified the individual. Deputies arrested him while he was working as a team leader in the attractions department.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office provided the investigative details and advised parental vigilance. Universal provided a statement saying the individual is no longer with the company. The case status is that the man has been arrested and faces the charges listed in the affidavit; no trial outcomes or additional legal dispositions were provided in the affidavit or sheriff’s statement.
All individuals accused of a crime are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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All individuals mentioned in criminal allegations are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.