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Editor’s note: Details in this story are disturbing.
A Walt Disney World employee is among a group of 12 people arrested by Florida law enforcement agencies as a result of an undercover operation focused on the online solicitation of minors.
“Operation Child Predator II” began on June 2 and was conducted by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Auburndale Police Department, and Winter Haven Police Department. During the two-week operation, detectives posed as children on various social media platforms, mobile apps, and online dating sites “to investigate those who prey upon and travel to meet children for unlawful sexual activity.”
The individuals arrested range in age from 20-years-old to 67-years-old, and a total of 12 people face a total of 49 felony charges. Four suspects allegedly showed up to an undercover location multiple times in Polk County to meet with whom they believed to be children “to sexually batter them.”
One of the individuals arrested is Zachary Hudson, 30, who told police that he’s a bus driver at Walt Disney World. Officials allege that Hudson engaged in sexual conversations with the undercover detective while he was on the clock at Walt Disney World.
Disney did not immediately respond to Fox News when asked to comment.
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One of the individuals arrested is Zachary Hudson, 30, who told police that he’s a bus driver at Walt Disney World. Officials allege that Hudson engaged in sexual conversations with the undercover detective while he was on the clock at Walt Disney World. (Polk County Sheriff’s Office)
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Hudson engaged in online conversations with a detective who posed as a 15-year-old girl. When the undercover detective posing as a 15-year-old girl asked Hudson if her age was okay, he allegedly asked “my being older doesn’t bother you” and later said “age is just a number,” according to officials.
When the conversation moved to texting, Hudson allegedly described what he wanted to do to the 15-year-old girl sexually, adding that he’d be “honored” to take her virginity, according to the sheriff’s office. He also allegedly sent a nude picture of himself, according to officials.
Hudson told the undercover detective posing as a 15-year-old girl that he was employed as a bus driver at Walt Disney World.
During a press conference, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said that Hudson told the undercover detective that “what we said could get us all in trouble.”
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Specifically, during conversations with the undercover detective, he said how he desired to wrap his hand’s around the girl’s “small tiny body,” according to Judd.
The Walt Disney World employee also allegedly told the girl multiple times how she had to stay quiet about their relationship, stating how it has to be “our secret,” according to Judd.
“You know, I could go to jail. But I’d risk it for spending some time with you. I’d risk going to jail,” Judd said, paraphrasing what Hudson allegedly told the undercover detective.
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He was arrested in Orlando and booked into the Orange County Jail, and now faces one count of use of a two-way communication device to commit a felony and one count of transmission of material harmful to a minor.
Judd said that Hudson was texting the undercover detective posing as a 15-year-old girl while he was on the clock at Walt Disney World.
“So if your bus was running late at Disney, he was busy taking pictures of himself and talking trash to what he thought was a little girl,” Judd said.
Judd also said that Hudson was in his Walt Disney World uniform when his mugshot was taken.
Adam Sabes is a writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to Adam.Sabes@fox.com and on Twitter @asabes10.
