Two of the more than 50 men who were arrested during a week-long undercover sting operation targeting child sex predators in Marion County have been federally indicted for attempting to meet with minors, with both facing the possibility of decades behind bars if convicted.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida announced the indictments of 50-year-old Michael Joseph Vitoff of Zephyrhills and 39-year-old Brian James Verka of Beverly Hills on Thursday, June 18.
Both men face federal charges of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and attempted production of child sexual abuse material. If convicted, each faces a minimum sentence of 10 years up to life in prison on the enticement offense, and a minimum of 15 years up to 30 years for the attempted production offense.
The arrests stem from “Operation Bad Habits,” a sweeping sting operation announced by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office on June 11 that resulted in the arrests of more than 50 individuals. During the operation, detectives posed online as children ranging in age from 7 to 15 years old.
According to federal court documents, Vitoff communicated online between June 2 and June 5 with an undercover Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agent he believed to be a 13-year-old girl. During their conversations, Vitoff expressed his desire to engage in sexual activity and asked the minor to produce and send him sexually explicit images. He was arrested on June 5 after traveling to a location in Marion County to meet the minor.
Similarly, court documents allege Verka communicated with an undercover HSI agent posing as a 13-year-old girl between May 27 and June 2. Verka also allegedly asked the minor to send explicit images and described his desire to engage in sexual activity. He was arrested on June 2 upon arriving in Marion County for the arranged meeting.
Both men remain in custody pending the resolution of their criminal cases.
The extensive Marion County operation that led to their capture yielded suspects from various backgrounds, including a youth football coach, a teacher, fathers, and a high school student.
In addition to solicitation charges, several suspects are also facing human trafficking charges for attempting to “purchase” the undercover detectives.
If you know someone who is a victim of sexual assault, contact the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence at 888-956-7273 and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office at 352-732-9111.