Last of 11 'Sex Tourists' Heads to Jail

Operation Turn Around, a FBI undercover operation designed to stop sex tourists before they can leave the U.S., landed another victory last month when George Clarke was sentenced to a 60-month prison term following his conviction at trial. Clarke was the last of 11 predators, who were caught signing up in the "Costa Rica Taboo Vacation" sting, to go to jail.

Operation Turn Around and the Fort Lauderdale Police worked with Costa Rican authorities to bust U.S. citizens traveling to Central American countries in order to have sex with children. To help in the investigation the FBI created a fake travel agency called – Costa Rica Taboo Vacations – that offered to arrange trips which included the company or "tourist companions" who were between the ages of 14 to 27.

Special Agent Terri Patterson, who ran the operation, said "We advertised our services in magazines and on the Internet and were swamped with requests for information."

From December 2003 to August 2004, the FBI arrested 11 individuals as part of the sting. The outcome landed 11 people in jail, including a police officer, a middle school teacher, a carnival worker, and a real estate agent.

Who Was Busted?

• John Bollea, a 70-year-old male from Lighthouse Point, Florida, was arrested in Miami on December 20, 2003, after he boarded a flight en route to Costa Rica. Prior to his arrest, Bollea communicated with the undercover travel agency, making arrangements to engage in sexual activity with a minor child upon his arrival in Costa Rica. Prior to his departure, Bollea paid for the sexual services of the minor child.

  On April 2, 2004, Bollea pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to travel in foreign commerce to engage in sexual relations with a minor.

• Mark Dudley, a 49-year-old male, worked as a food vendor at local carnivals prior to his arrest on January 19, 2004. Dudley, a native of Daytona Beach, Florida, engaged in several conversations with the undercover travel agency before paying for the sexual services of a minor. The minor female was to be delivered to Dudley upon his arrival in Costa Rica on January 19th. Dudley was arrested in Miami, when he attempted to board a flight en route to San Jose, Costa Rica.

  Dudley entered a guilty plea on April 26, 2004, to one count of attempting to travel in foreign commerce to engage in sexual relations with a minor.

Thomas Taylor, a 52-year-old male, was employed as a realtor in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, at the time of his arrest. Thomas' wife, Christine Taylor, a 42-year-old female, was a housewife in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, at the time of her arrest. The Taylors were arrested on January 16, 2004, when they boarded a Carnival Cruise ship en route to San Jose, Costa Rica. In the weeks prior to their arrest, Tom Taylor had numerous conversations with an undercover officer in which he made arrangements and paid to have two 16-year-old girls delivered to a hotel room in Costa Rica to engage in sexual relations with his wife, Christine.

On April 22, 2004, Tom and Christine Taylor pleaded guilty to conspiracy to travel in foreign commerce with the intent to engage in sexual acts with minors.

• Glenn Koenemann, a 56-year-old male, was arrested on January 20, 2004. At the time of his arrest, Koenemann was working as an arborist in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Koenemann sent a letter to the undercover travel agency requesting information about young sexual companions in Costa Rica. In subsequent conversations, Koenemann requested the sexual services of a 14- year-old female and agreed to pay $425 for the same. He also requested the sexual services of a 16-year-old female for a portion of his trip to Costa Rica, stating that he needed an older girl to accompany him to the beach area without drawing unwanted attention. Koenemann was arrested when he boarded a flight en route to San Jose, Costa Rica.

  On April 23, 2004, the defendant entered a guilty plea to one count of attempting to travel in foreign commerce to engage in sexual relations with a minor.

• Gerald Alter, a 68-year-old male from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was employed as a furniture salesperson in Sunrise, Florida, at the time of his arrest. Alter was arrested after communicating with the undercover travel agency via telephone and email in order to arrange for the sexual services of a 14-year-old female. Prior to his arrest on April 19, 2004, Alter paid an undercover agent to have a 14-year-old child delivered to his hotel room in San Jose, Costa Rica to engage in prostitution.

  Alter later pleaded guilty to one count of knowingly receiving child pornography.

James Marquez, a 47-year-old male, was employed at the International Game Fishing Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at the time of his arrest. Marquez was arrested on June 17, 2004, after he paid an undercover agent to have a 14-year-old girl delivered to a hotel room. Marquez made arrangements to have the girl engage in sexual acts upon delivery to the hotel. Marquez paid $1,080 for the trip to Costa Rica, including the sexual services of the child. At the time of his arrest, Marquez was carrying costume jewelry for the girl, condoms, and disposable cameras.

On October 6, 2004, Marquez entered a guilty plea to one count of attempting to induce a minor child to engage in prostitution.

• Derek Roberts, a 30-year-old male, was employed as a police officer at the Hollywood Police Department at the time of his arrest on June 10, 2004. Roberts was arrested in a hotel room in Miami, Florida, after he made final payment to an undercover agent for the sexual services of two 16-year-old girls. Roberts initially made plans to travel to Costa Rica and have the girls delivered to a hotel room in San Jose, however, he later changed his mind about traveling to a foreign country and requested that the undercover agent transport the girls from Costa Rica to Miami. At the time of his arrest, Roberts was carrying condoms, sexual stimulants, sexual lubricant, and jewelry for the two minor girls.

  After a jury trial, Roberts was found guilty of attempting to engage in a commercial sex act with a minor child.

• Wallace David Strevell, a 33-year-old male from Exton, Pennsylvania, was employed as a bartender at the time of his arrest on July 11, 2004. Strevell was arrested after he made arrangements with the undercover travel agent to have two 14-year-old girls delivered to his hotel room in Costa Rica. Strevell paid the undercover agent $955 for a trip to Costa Rica that included the sexual services of two 14-year-old females. At the time of his arrest, Strevell was carrying condoms and a battery-operated sexual stimulator in his carry-on bag.

  After a jury trial, Strevell was convicted of violations of attempting to travel in foreign commerce to engage in sexual relations with a minor.

• Vincent Springer, a 42-year-old male from Vero Beach, Florida, was employed as a mechanic at the time of his arrest on July 16, 2004. In the weeks leading to his arrest, Springer paid $931 to the undercover travel agency for a trip to Costa Rica that included sexual activity with two girls, ages 14 and 15. When interviewed by agents at the time of his arrest, Springer admitted that he intended to try to negotiate for additional girls after his arrival in San Jose, Costa Rica. A search of Springer's carry-on luggage revealed the following items: condoms, sexual lubricants, gifts for the girls (lip gloss, jewelry, lotion, etc.) and bubble bath.

  After a jury trial, Springer was found guilty of attempting to travel in foreign commerce to engage in sexual relations with a minor, attempting to engage in a commercial sex act with a minor and attempting to induce a minor child to engage in prostitution.

• George C. Clarke, a 43-year-old male from Westfield, N.J., was employed as a middle school math and science teacher at the time of his arrest. Clarke was arrested at Miami International Airport in August, 2004, when he attempted to board a plane bound for Costa Rica. Clarke's arrest was the result of his ongoing conversations with the undercover travel agency that culminated in his payment of $1,610 for a trip to Costa Rica that would include the sexual services of two 12-year-old girls. Clarke repeatedly requested the sexual services of the young girls, and at times specified the sexual acts he would be asking them to perform. At the time of his arrest, Clarke was carrying condoms in his luggage.

  In January, 2005, Clarke was found guilty by a federal jury in Miami of attempting to travel in foreign commerce to engage in sexual relations with a minor and attempting to induce a minor child to engage in prostitution of Justice.

Source: FBI

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