A dozen child porn suspects arrested in Polk County

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The Polk County Sheriff’s Office just announced the results of Operation Guardians of Innocence III on Tuesday, a crackdown on child pornography.

“The horribleness of this child porn is beyond your wildest deviant imaginations,” commented Polk Sheriff Grady Judd.

Twelve people, including a woman, were arrested. Many of them have served time for other sexual offenses involving kids. A total of 640 felonies were filed against them, and more charges are pending.

Judd called Wade Menard, 36, the “poster boy” of the group. In 2009, Menard was convicted of molesting a child under 12. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison but got out in two.

Recently, he was arrested again. Detectives say to keep a low profile with law enforcement he was visiting his mother in Winter Haven every Sunday, and downloading child pornography on her computer.

“You see,” said Judd. “He hasn’t changed, because leopards don’t change their spots…So he is back doing the same kind of stuff.”

Judd says the system is broken because so many sex offenders only serve a fraction of their sentence, are released early, and victimize kids again.

Also arrested during the operation:

- 49-year-old Richard Parr
- 32-year-old Timothy Cottenham II
- 42-year-old Owen “David” Yates
- 27-year-old Johnny Emmons, Jr.
- 54-year-old Jerome Lingenfelter
- 34-year-old Marc Aaron Burzynski
- 44-year-old Jesse Whitehead
- 18-year-old Brooklyn Childs
- 29-year-old Jesse Butler, and his wife,  30-year-old Katie Butler
- 61-year-old Dr. Brian Birky