'Disgusting': 15 ensnared in Polk sex sting

TAMPA - One after another, Polk detectives hauled the suspects away in handcuffs.

They arrested 15 men, from all walks of life, who are suspected of trying to have sex with underage girls, some as young as 8 years old.

"I must tell you that this group of folks were absolutely as disgusting as any we've ever arrested." says Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.

Investigators lured them in with ads on CraigsList.

Posing as parents or relatives, they offered sex with young girls.

And detectives say the men took the bait, traveling to an undercover house from as far away as Sarasota, New Port Richey and Orlando.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's still a shock to me after 11 operations when we have a predator show up with condoms in one hand and candy bars in the other hand," Judd said.

"To be very, very honest, I think the unfortunate truth is that its going to be very hard to stop it. I think that the monitoring that's going on is an excellent thing." says Dr. Valerie McClain, a forensic psychologist in Tampa.

She sees the problem every day and says in many cases, the threat of being arrested isn't enough to overcome their addiction.

"I don't think its very likely this was the first time. I think usually those caught in a sting have existed for a long time with the denial that its not going to happen to me. And now it's happening," McClain said.

Deputies say six of these guys are married with families. One, they say, has six children and another on the way. Many also have careers, working for companies like Jet Blue, Global Shipping and Quality Petroleum.

One of the suspects, Tommy Dupre, is a little league coach in Lakeland. Deputies say he went to the undercover home to have sex with a 14-year old girl. They say he picked up a coke and a pack of condoms on the way there.

"I just can't believe and most people can't believe, there are folks that are that sick. that are that dangerous to our children. But they are there," Judd said.