BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — An Indian River County man and a Brevard County woman have been arrested for human trafficking and use of a child in sexual performance.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Brevard County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) arrested Marc Phillip Dinkels, 33, of Vero Beach on two counts of human trafficking and one count each of lewd and lascivious battery, use of a child in sexual performance, unlawful sexual activity with certain minors, unlawful use of a two-way communication device to facilitate the commission of a felony and battery.
Taylor Kathleen Brandt, 19, of Palm Bay was also arrested and will be facing two counts of lewd and lascivious battery and one count each of human trafficking, use of a child in a sexual performance and use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony.
Investigators found that Brandt and Dinkels recruited three underage girls to perform sex acts with them for money. In several of the instances, BCSO says Dinkels recorded the sex acts with a camera.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, "This sick criminal duo used social media to target and lure young girls for sex, including a 14-year-old from a foster home. I am thankful for the multiple law enforcement agencies that investigated this case, and I look forward to my Statewide Prosecutors securing convictions for these loathsome predators."
FDLE Acting Commissioner Mark Glass said, "Predators who take advantage of children like this have no place in our communities, and I hope this arrest sends a warning to anyone else who might seek to exploit Florida’s youth. I am proud of the work of our members and our criminal justice partners to ensure these suspects are held accountable for their criminal actions."
Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said, "I could not be more proud of the amazing team of agents that brought these disgusting individuals to justice! Anyone, who is evil enough to harm a child needs to be locked behind bars where they can never harm another child in our community or anywhere else on the planet! I want to personally thank Attorney General Ashley Moody for prosecuting these types of cases and also FDLE for all their support in fighting the exploitation of children. Cases like this are a perfect example of how law enforcement agencies work together to keep our children safe!"
Dinkels was booked into the Indian River County Jail on Wednesday, July 13, 2022 and Brandt was booked into the Brevard County Jail on Saturday, July 16, 2022.
Both were ordered to be held without bond pending their first appearance in court.