Barefoot Bay Man Caught In Sex Sting

A Barefoot Bay man was arrested after being accused of sending sexually explicit images to a child. 55 year old Richard Kwolek, according to police, was caught while engaged in an online conversation with an undercover detective who was posing as a 14 year old girl on a social networking site. Detectives say despite the fact that Kwolek was told multiple times that the “girl” he thought he was communicating with was only 14 years old, he continued to knowingly communicate. They say he sent sexually explicit images and instigated sexually explicit conversations. He is now facing a long string of charges. Kwolek was locked up in the Indian River County Jail, but he was later released after posting a $6,000 bond. His arrest came as part of a sting operation conducted by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, in which 30 people in all weer arrested over a two week period.