Windermere man arrested in child sex sting

A man with a Windermere address was among six suspects arrested during “Operation Child Protector IV,” a multi-agency operation that focused on online solicitation of minors.

According to Polk County Sheriff’s Office reports, Douglas Da Silva, 46, of Windermere, engaged in an online conversation on a social-networking site and via cell phone with an undercover detective posing as an adult who had access to a 15-year-old female child. 

Polk officials said Da Silva agreed to pay $250 to have unprotected sex with the child. 

After he was arrested, Da Silva told detectives he is an Uber Eats driver, is married and that he and his wife own a house-cleaning business. He said he has been in the United States for four years and is awaiting confirmation of his green card. 

Da Silva was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with one count human trafficking; one count traveling to meet a minor for sex; one count use of computer to solicit guardian of child for sex; and one count use of two-way communication device to commit a felony.

Others arrested include Jairo Muniz, 40, of Kissimmee; Timothy Wellman, 36, of Ohio (recently moved to Polk); Feras Klisli, 49, of Davenport; Trevor Walker, 33, of Orlando, and Douglas Cooley, 26, of Apopka.

The seven-day operation, which began Sept. 19, was a joint effort that included detectives from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Lakeland Police Department, Haines City Police Department, Tampa Police Department, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

Detectives posed as children or guardians of children on social-media platforms, mobile apps and online dating sites to investigate those who prey upon and travel to meet children for unlawful sexual activity.

The suspects communicated with and solicited who they thought were children or guardians online. Six suspects showed up to an undercover location in Polk County at separate times to sexually batter children. Three of the six suspects wanted to pay an adult hundreds of dollars to have sex with who they thought was a child — those three were charged with human trafficking, a life felony.

Three of the suspects brought condoms to the undercover location. Three told detectives they are married, and three have children.