Ft. White man arrested in Gainesville for traveling to meet a minor for sex
Staff report
WARNING: This article contains sexually explicit terminology.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Fausto Vinchenzo Granja, 22, of Ft. White, was arrested for traveling to meet a minor for unlawful sexual activity on July 30 as part of a multi-agency undercover operation.
The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office hosted “Operation Firewall” from Thursday, July 30, through Saturday, August 1, as part of the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, bringing together local, state, and federal law enforcement partners.
As part of that operation, a Gainesville Police Department officer reportedly engaged in an online conversation with Granja on Grindr and SnapChat; the officer’s persona was a fourteen-year-old girl.
The officer reportedly informed Granja that the persona was 14, and Granja reportedly acknowledged this and then allegedly requested sexually explicit images of the girl. He allegedly asked her if she was okay with meeting someone older and asked what sexual activities she had engaged in, including whether she’d had oral and anal sex. Granja reportedly said he was not sure whether he could have anal sex with her because of his size.
Granja reportedly participated in an 18-minute video/audio call via Snapchat and allegedly said he wanted to have sex with the girl he believed he was communicating with. He allegedly said he was driving a Durango and was headed to Gainesville, and they could have sex in the back seat. Granja reportedly showed his face during the video call.
On July 30, Granja allegedly traveled from his workplace in the city of Alachua to an agreed-upon location in Gainesville, with the intention of meeting a juvenile female for sex.
Officers conducted a traffic stop when Granja arrived at the location and arrested him.
Post Miranda, Granja reportedly admitted to communicating with the officer’s persona on Grindr on his phone and then downloading SnapChat and a VOIP app to send text messages to the officer’s persona.
Granja reportedly admitted that he knew he was communicating with an “underage” person, and he said he knew it was “bad.”
An inventory search of Granja’s vehicle reportedly produced a loaded revolver in the center console, easily accessible to Granja.
Granja has been charged with traveling to meet a minor for unlawful sexual activity, unlawful use of a two-way communications device, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
Granja’s criminal history is unavailable because the charges involve a minor; Judge Tatum Davis ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s Office to hold him without bail until trial; if the judge denies the motion, bail will be set at that hearing. Judge Susan Miller-Jones added $75,000 bail for the firearm offense.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.