Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents arrested a Seminole County man for plotting to rape and murder a child.
And in new details, agents said he tried to carry out the plan this past Saturday.
Shawn Thomas, 29, was arrested Thursday night.
Agents said the investigation began a week ago after FDLE received a tip from a confidential informant.
The tip said Thomas was planning to lure the parents and juvenile female from into a vacant home under the guise of producing a film or TV show.
Agents said Thomas planned to kill the parents with a knife and rape and murder the child. He also planned to film the rape and produce a DVD to sell.
FDLE said Thomas lured a father, grandfather and child from Fort Myers to a Longwood home Saturday, June 7 by saying he was a student making a film. The family then became suspicious and left. Agents believed he was going to try his plan again this weekend.
Law enforcement said Thomas had a bag with a knife, camera, tripod, plastic sheets and lubricant at the time of his arrest. They also say he would find young girls through modeling agencies and Craigslist.
Anthony DeRosa has known Thomas for nine years, and let Thomas live with him and his two sons. DeRosa recalled seeing Thomas last Saturday as he headed to meet that family from Fort Myers.
“He took a long shower, he got real clean shaven, he was in all black, and said he was going for a walk. We thought it was weird because it was raining, but an hour and a half later he comes back,” DeRosa said.
DeRosa said he knew nothing of Thomas’s behavior until cops came to his home Thursday and arrested him.
Thomas was charged with premeditated attempted homicide, attempted sexual assault on a victim under 12 years old and 10 counts of child pornography.
He was booked into the Seminole County Jail without bond.
“He’s facing potentially hundreds of years in prison and I do intend to add more counts,” said prosecutor Diane Checchio.
FDLE investigators said they had started investigating Thomas in March for child pornography.