BS BULLETIN:
-
A 37-year-old Florida man was arrested at a Walt Disney World backstage address after allegedly sending explicit material to an undercover deputy posing as a 13-year-old boy.
-
Investigators say the suspect acknowledged owning the Snapchat account but denied knowing he was communicating with a minor.
-
Disney confirms the man is not an employee, raising an unanswered question about his presence in the backstage area.
A Florida man accused of sending sexually explicit material to someone he believed was a 13-year-old boy was arrested at a backstage address at Walt Disney World.
But there’s an additional twist: Disney says he doesn’t work there.
Michael Byrne, 37, of Lakeland, was arrested following an undercover investigation by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office that began in August.
According to an arrest affidavit, an undercover deputy was operating a Snapchat account when a user identifying himself as a 37-year-old man in the Orlando area initiated contact. The deputy identified himself as a 13-year-old boy.
Investigators say Byrne subsequently sent one explicit image and three videos before asking the supposed child to send images in return.
Detectives traced the account to Byrne, who acknowledged owning it and participating in the conversation. He told investigators, however, that he did not know he was communicating with someone who was 13. That explanation apparently didn’t persuade investigators.
Byrne was charged with solicitation of a minor via computer, transmission of harmful material to minors, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
He was transported to the Orange County Jail, where he was initially held without bond on the solicitation and transmission charges.
But the arrest location may be the most unusual detail. According to WKMG News 6, Byrne was arrested at 751 Backstage Lane, an address associated with Walt Disney World’s backstage operations.
Disney confirmed to the television station that Byrne is not a company employee. How he gained access to the location remains unclear. The reporting does not establish whether he entered a restricted area without authorization or had some other legitimate reason to be there.
The arrest comes just weeks after another undercover child-predator investigation resulted in the arrest of a Universal Orlando employee.
In September, authorities arrested 30-year-old Tyler Exline, a team leader at Universal’s Epic Universe, after investigators alleged he communicated with an undercover deputy posing as a 14-year-old.
Exline was arrested at his workplace and charged with solicitation of a minor and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
The cases are unrelated, but both involved undercover investigations and arrests connected to major Central Florida theme parks.
In Byrne’s case, the criminal allegations are serious enough. The additional mystery is how a man Disney says doesn’t work for the company ended up being arrested at one of its backstage addresses.
The charges remain allegations, and Byrne is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
