Investigators with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Homeland Security Unit — working alongside the FBI, FDLE, and Homeland Security Investigations — arrested nine men during a four‑day undercover operation targeting individuals who believed they were arranging sexual encounters with children online.
The operation, called “Summer Sentinel,” ran from July 22 through July 25 and focused on identifying adults who use digital platforms to solicit minors. According to the Sheriff’s Office, each suspect allegedly communicated with undercover investigators posing as children and traveled to meet who they believed were minors.
Those arrested include:
- Eric Scott Haakenson – Use of a Computer to Solicit a Minor; Traveling to Meet a Minor; Use of a Two‑Way Communications Device to Facilitate a Felony.
- Mitchell David Burge – Same charges.
- Thomas Nathanael Howell – Same charges.
- Joshua Logan Starns – Same charges.
- Clayton James Kroesche – Same charges plus Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony.
- Daniel Warner Stivers – Same charges.
- Gabriel Taylor – Same charges plus Attempted Lewd or Lascivious Performance by a Child.
- Joshua Samuel Shelfer, a Pleasant Home School teacher – Same charges.
- Heriberto Santos Godinez – Same charges plus two counts of Transmitting Harmful Material to a Minor.
Investigators also arrested Sean Jeffrey Watson, a registered sexual offender already on pretrial release for possession of child sexual abuse material. Watson allegedly violated his pretrial conditions and Florida’s sex‑offender registration requirements by using a dating app to communicate with individuals he believed were juvenile males. He was charged with Failure to Register an Internet Identifier, and his bond was revoked.
Sheriff Eric Aden said the operation highlights how frequently predators attempt to exploit children online and how aggressively law enforcement intends to respond.
“The internet has become one of the primary ways child predators attempt to find and exploit victims,” Aden said. “Operations like Summer Sentinel send a clear message that we will continue to proactively identify, investigate, and arrest those who target children online.”
The Sheriff’s Office encourages parents and guardians to maintain open conversations about online safety, monitor digital activity, and report suspicious behavior.
