SANTA ROSA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG) — Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson announced Tuesday that 12 men were arrested over a span of three days for traveling to meet with a minor for sexual activity.
The investigation was a partnership between Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and Pensacola Police Department, and Santa Rosa Sheriff Office’s Major Crimes Division.
“If you have kids out there, under the age of 18, this should scare you to death,” Johnson said.
Out of the 12 arrests, there were 45 felony charges.
Below are the following that were arrested:
- Patrick Bradt, 50, of Crestview
- Terry Deer, 57, of Fairhope, Ala.
- Zachary Frantz, 26, of Pace
- Jose Leonardo-Ramirez, 30, of Pensacola
- Anthony Martinez, 32, of Pace
- Bryan Meja, 22, of Pensacola
- Erick Menchaca, 33, of DeFuniak Springs
- James Ray II, 45, of Pensacola
- Michael Preston, 40, of Navarre
- Joshua Prows, 35, of Milton
- Andrew Walters, 29, of Gulf Shores, Ala.
- Tristan Thrower, 24, of Pensacola
“These guys should really scare you,” Johnson said. “Patrick Bradt, 50 years old, is already a registered sex offender. He came to Santa Rosa County, hoping to have sex with a 14-year-old girl. The next guy, Terry Deer, is an Uber driver, and he came hoping to have sex with a 13-year-old girl. The real scary one is this guy right here, Anthony Martinez. He just got out of prison, a convicted felon. Not only does he come to Santa Rosa County to have sex with a 13-year-old girl, he brings a hand-gun, cocaine and methamphetamine with him. Great guys right here.”
Johnson said four of the arrested were arrested with handguns. When it comes down to committing the crime, Johnson said they can’t control themselves.
“You can’t make this stuff up,” Johnson said. “The first guy, [Patrick Bradt] this is his second pop for the same thing. They can’t control themselves apparently, so we have to.”
For parents, Johnson said this should scare you to death.
“You should monitor what websites they go to and stay on them,” Johnson said. “They don’t have privacy in your home, they belong to you and if you don’t keep track of what they’re doing, this is what’s coming for them. Scumbags like this. This is all they do. They are looking for little girls and little boys to have sex with and they will travel to do it.”
Johnson said there are three ways that they can keep them from doing things like this in the future.
“You can incarcerate them forever, they can die, or you can cut off a certain appendage,” Johnson said. “That’s the only way it’s going to get fixed. These guys are predators, and they are coming for your children.”
With the investigation only lasting three days, Johnson said this is just the tip of the iceberg.
“We can’t do operations this without the help of ECSO, PPD, FDLE and OCSO,” Johnson said. “If you had a full-time unit, where this is all they did, this is the tip of the iceberg. This is three days. Could you imagine what you could get in three months? Like I said, if you’re a parent, this should scare the heck out of you.”
There is currently one search warrant still active for Trevon Mitchell, 27, of Pensacola. Johnson said he fled from SRCSO, crashed and fled on foot.
“We have about three or four felony charges on him,” Johnson said. “If you know where he is at, call CRIMESTOPPERS. Stay anonymous and let us know where he is at and we will put him in the Milton Hilton.”
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