St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick announced Thursday morning that the agency had arrested nearly 40 people in operations targeting sex offenders in September and October | Noah Hertz, Jacksonville Today
Published on November 12, 2026 at 2:13 pm
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The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday that the agency has arrested nearly 40 people in recent operations targeting sex offenders.
Operation “Prey No More” was aimed at people using the internet to solicit who they believed were minors for sex. Deputies posed as children on online platforms and ultimately arrested 15 suspects in September.
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Speaking Thursday morning, Sheriff Rob Hardwick urged parents to be aware of what their children are doing on their phones and computers.
“That electronic device opens up the world to your child,” he said. “It starts in the home, and it starts, of course, with parenting and supervision and your guardians.”
Hardwick said a number of the suspects have “extensive” criminal records, and that one, 30-year-old Carlos Varela Hernandez, has an “illegal immigration violation.” In his case, Hardwick says SJSO is working with federal law enforcement.
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Additional investigations and arrests are pending, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
More arrests following check-ins
Last month, the agency also launched “Operation Final Match,” where local deputies worked with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to check in on registered sexual predators and offenders in the area.
State law requires registered offenders to keep law enforcement aware of both their physical address and their online personas. Hardwick said “Final Match” resulted in 23 arrests for noncompliance, including sex offenders who failed to report their online accounts and profiles on gaming and dating platforms.
The agency is still looking for two registered sex offenders, Richard Sawyer and Joshua Fulcher, who have not reported their new addresses and their whereabouts are unknown.
