This operation is such a classic South Florida sheriff story, I can’t begin to tell you.
Most of you know Sheriff Grady Judd, Polk County, Florida’s bon vivant, no-nonsense law and order superstar.
Well, Marion County, encompassing the Ocala area, just south of Gainesville and north of The Villages, has its own cowboy hat-wearing straight talker named Billy Woods.
Sheriff Billy Woods is a great example of having his deputies back, and putting his counties citizens safety first!
And love how he calls out the media’s BS question 👍🏻
— Todd Bryant | Captain Klaa 🇺🇸 (@RealKlaa) June 12, 2026
The cowboy hat, if you’ve ever driven south through the middle of Florida, should come as no surprise. If you haven’t, here’s the explanation – it’s horse and cattle country, believe it or not. Even if you stay on the I-75 and never once leave the interstate the entire time into, say, Tampa, all you will see is ranches, cattle, and horse farms besides some swamp on either side of the highway. There are lots of billboards advertising horse tack shops (for working ranchers or show-circuit equestrians), feed and boot stores. It’s a whole different world.
What they did in Marion County during the first week of June this year dovetailed nicely with that lifestyle.
They set traps for predators, and didn’t the sheriff and his partners catch a passel of them.
Marion County and state officials on Thursday announced the arrest of more than 50 people in what is being called the largest child predator sting in the county’s history.
As part of Operation Bad Habits, detectives posed online as children, ranging in age from 7 to 15 years old, or as parents offering to traffic their children to suspects, according to Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods.
“These predators simply found us. They found our profiles. They solicited us. The only thing that we did is we joined whatever application, whatever website,” Woods said.
Woods said the suspects included fathers, teachers, coaches and even a high school student.
OPERATION BAD HABITS
That darn innerwebs can lead to some dark places for evil, weak people.
Fifty-eight suspected child predators were arrested after a five-day undercover operation in Marion County in which investigators posed as children as young as 7 online, Florida authorities said.
The suspects allegedly engaged in sexually explicit conversations and arranged meetings despite being told they were communicating with minors, law enforcement officials announced on Thursday in Ocala. They were taken into custody when they arrived at predetermined locations. Officials said some of those arrested had regular access to children, including parents and teachers.
The operation, dubbed “Operation Bad Habits,” ran from June 1 through June 6, and is being described as the largest Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) operation in Marion County history.
…The operation was led by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and included assistance from federal, state and local partners, including the U.S. Marshals Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
The young attorney general of Florida, James Uthmeier, says this 58 is in addition to the 1700 predators he’s already arrested since he took over the office when former AG Ashley Moody left to fill Marco Rubio’s senate seat.
This whole team isn’t messing around.
Sheriff Billy Woods said sometimes the system fails, and they are grateful to have a chance to correct it before something terrible happens.
…Woods also pointed to another suspect, Matthew White, who had been arrested in April in Stuart during a child sex predator sting. Woods says he was out on bond when he traveled to Marion County to meet what he thought was a 14-year-old girl.
“We have broken systems throughout this United States, and sometimes our judicial system fails us,” Woods said.
Other times, suspects drop in your lap of their own volition.
…Another suspect, Matthew Szilagyi, is accused of agreeing to meet with what he thought was a 14-year-old girl. The location of the meeting? The Marion County Jail.
“At least he saved me some money. I didn’t have to use all that gas to take him,” Woods said.
‘S’all good.
58 child sexual predators captured in one operation, and a reporter makes the mistake of asking about a Florida Highway Patrol case.
You can see AG Uthmeier grinning to the right behind Sheriff Billy as he goes off.
“This press conference is solely for those pieces of sh*t who are right there!”
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods exploded on a reporter who ignored the subject of his press conference — a sting conducted to capture child sex offenders — and asked about an unrelated case. pic.twitter.com/ZoCGHlqXSK
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) June 12, 2026
The message is pretty clear here.
In Operation Bad Habits, more than 50 alleged predators were arrested.
Target our children – Florida will come after you.https://t.co/H8jqbEb3ON
— Senator Ashley Moody (@SenAshleyMoody) June 15, 2026
Kudos to everyone involved with the operation.
Editor’s Note: The American people overwhelmingly support President Trump’s law and order agenda.
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