20-year-old arrested in child sex sting

A Ponte Vedra man was one of 18 people arrested in a child sex sting after he drove 3 1/2 hours to have sex with a 14-year-old girl, police said.

Detectives said 20-year-old Michael Thompson traveled to Polk County from Ponte Vedra because he thought he was meeting up with a 14-year-old girl to have sex.

Thompson told the girl he was 18 and would make sure that "her first time was the best."

Thompson told police after he was arrested that he didn’t think the girl was actually 14, but admitted that she told him her age multiple times.

Thompson told detectives that he is single and works at Publix.

Thompson was taken to the Polk County Jail and charged with use of two-way communication device to commit felony, use of a computer to seduce child, traveling to meet a minor, use of a computer to seduce a child, misrepresenting age and attempted lewd battery.

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