Public Safety

Tampa man arrested after undercover sting targeting child sex predators in Columbia County

A 35-year-old Tampa man was arrested on June 30 following a joint undercover operation by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and Tampa Police Department aimed at individuals seeking to sexually exploit minors. Investigators say Jose Portal engaged in sexually explicit conversations and sent explicit images to detectives he believed were children, and had arranged to meet one child in Columbia County and another in Tampa. Authorities found evidence on his phone after his arrest, and Portal — already on federal probation for a prior offense — confessed to the crimes.

Sources: WCJB TV20