The Tavares Police Department in Tavares, Lake County, Florida, United States conducted a sting operation called Operation Lucky Strike on March 9, 2023. Investigators developed a potential suspect to travel and meet with a girl, 14.

The suspect is Justin Harper, 33, of Trenton, Gilchrist County, Florida. For a couple of weeks, he communicated with someone who he thought was a girl aged 14 and sent sexual texts, photos and videos.

On March 21, 2023, law enforcement officials from the Tavares Police Department and the Trenton Department of Public Safety conducted a sting operation called Operation Travel Plans. That day, Harper agreed to meet with the person who he thought was a girl aged 14.

Harper was arrested at the location where he was expecting to meet an underage girl. He was booked into the Gilchrist County Jail in Trenton.

Bond for Harper was set at $2.6 million. He was charged with traveling to meet a minor, use of a two-way communication device to commit a felony, tampering or destruction of evidence and 12 counts of transmitting harmful material to a minor.

Trenton is the county seat of Gilchrist County. It is around 105 miles away from Tavares.

Former National Basketball Association player Jermaine Taylor, 36, was born in Tavares. The city was founded in 1880 by New Orleans, Louisiana, USA native Alexander St. Clair Abrams, who died in Jacksonville, Florida at age 86.