Uber driver, college basketball player among 12 arrested in St. Johns County child sex sting

An Uber driver, college basketball player and military member were among the 12 men arrested in an undercover child sex sting in St. Johns County.

Deputies said the men were arrested after they arranged to meet up with undercover detectives posing as boys and girls between 12 and 16 years old.

The men, who are between the ages of 21 and 60 years old, are accused of chatting with the detectives online and arranging to meet a “child” for sex at a West St. Johns County home.

Seven of the 12 men who were arrested in the weeklong sting were from St. Johns County. The others traveled from Volusia, Duval, Alachua, Flagler and Glynn counties to meet up with the detectives.

About a dozen agencies were involved in “Operation End of the Road.”

St. Johns County Sheriff David Shoar said there’s an important lesson here for parents.

“If you’re not proactive in your children’s lives, their Internet lives, you are making a profound mistake,” said Shoar. “I can assure you, this isn’t their first offense. So the question you wind up wondering is, how many of these did they get away with?”

This is St. Johns County’s third undercover sting targeting people who use the Internet to sexually exploit children.

Shoar said pharmacy tech Matthew Caniff brought calming prescription drugs with him to the undercover house. He did not have a prescription for the medication.

Deputies said Uber driver Jeremy Hughes traveled from Brunswick and was greeted by an arrest team instead of the child he’s accused of trying to meet.

Shoar said a student arrested in the sting, Oscar Cabrera-Adames, has a scholarship for basketball.

One of the men arrested, Keaton Cernin, was a lawn care worker.

Shoar said he was personally offended by what he said Adam Driggers did when he showed up to the undercover house.

“I’m a veteran and one thing that kind of upset me is one of the individuals talked about his alleged performance in the military and our operator asked him to wear his uniform. And he wasn’t in the military anymore, but he shows up in his uniform. I mean, it’s just – the minds of some of these people – I don’t understand it,” said Shoar.

Shoar said at least five more people arranged to meet up with his undercover detectives, but didn’t show up.

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Those arrested and their charges include:

-Adam Tucker Driggers, 31, Palm Coast- travel to meet minor for sex, unlawful use of two-way communication device
-Charles Arthur Thompson, 35, St. Augustine- travel to meet minor for sex, use of computer to solicit child for sex, unlawful use of two-way communication device
-Corey Richard Sinnott, 31, St. Augustine- travel to meet minor for sex, use of computer to solicit child for sex, unlawful use of two-way communication device
-David Lawrence Kausch III, 25, St. Augustine- travel to meet minor for sex, use of computer to solicit child for sex, unlawful use of two-way communication device
-John Willard Goodwin, St. Augustine- travel to meet minor for sex, unlawful use of two-way communication device
-Travon Carnell White-Thomas, Jacksonville- travel to meet minor for sex, use of computer to solicit child for sex, unlawful use of two-way communication device
-Jeremy Lee Hughes, 41, Brunswick- travel to meet minor for sex, two counts of use of computer to solicit child for sex, unlawful use of two-way communication device
-Keaton Richard Cernin, 25, St. Augustine- travel to meet minor for sex, three counts of use of computer to solicit child for sex, unlawful use of two-way communication device, transmit harmful material to minor
-Kevin Michael Philippi, 26, St. Augustine- travel to meet minor for sex, use of computer to solicit child for sex, unlawful use of two-way communication device
-Lee Mark Davis, 22, St. Augustine- travel to meet minor for sex, unlawful use of two-way communication device
-Matthew Bryan Caniff, 32, Gainesville- travel to meet minor for sex, use of computer to solicit child for sex, unlawful use of two-way communication device, promoting sexual performance by a child, transmit harmful material to a minor
-Oscar Asier Cabrera-Thomas, 22, Jacksonville- travel to meet minor for sex, unlawful use of two-way communication device

Cox Media Group