North Port Police Department:
Harold Junior Castro Rodriguez (25) of Palmetto traveled to a North Port Park Thursday evening expecting to meet a 14 year old girl to have sex. To his surprise, he was instead met by members of the NPPD Special Enforcement Team. Rodriguez is now charged with using an electronic device in an attempt to lure and then meet a child. Also, an additional charge of using a communication device to facilitate a felony.
NPPD’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force works threats against our kids, constantly. We have previous reports of adults reaching out to children in our community with bad intentions. Rodriguez was utilizing a chat app to reach out in this case. It just happens, it was not a 14-year old teenage girl but a one of our Detectives, waiting for these types of individuals.
“This should be a warning to anyone who is reaching out to the children of our City. You may not be talking with who you think you are. We will do everything within our authority to protect our kids and we will do everything within the law to hold you accountable. I am thankful and proud of the dedicated men and women of this Department who fight for our smallest residents,” says North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison.
Rodriguez is currently in the Sarasota County Jail with no bond.