Community Alert | Lewd and Lascivious Acts, New Port Richey

Pasco Sheriff’s Office arrested Juan Carlos Lugo (35) for lewd and lascivious acts, with several additional charges pending. A tip from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement indicated that a person in Pasco County was communicating with a detective from South Daytona Police Department that they believed to be a minor on a social media platform to arrange a sexual encounter.

During the conversation, Lugo sent videos of himself performing a sexual act in the presence of a 7 and 9 year old that he was familiar with and offered for the detective, who he believed to be a minor, to have a sexual encounter with the juveniles.

In partnership with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office immediately began to search for the subject, who they located on the morning of March 7, in the Shoreline Dr. area of New Port Richey.

The victims are safe and receiving the necessary resources. No additional information is available about the children, as Marsy’s Law protects their identity. The investigation remains ongoing, and no additional information is available at this time.

There are no reports of additional victims at this time; however, if you or a loved one believe you may be a victim, contact the PSO Crime Tips Line at 1-800-706-2488 or report tips online at PascoSheriff.com/tips.

“This arrest was the clearest and quickest example of how law enforcement partnerships work in Florida,” said FDLE Tampa Bay Special Agent in Charge Mark Brutnell. “It is because of the strong relationships between state and local agencies that we can identify a predator from the east coast of Florida, and within 35 minutes, we had a plan in place and brought him to justice.”