MARCO ISLAND, Fla.- The Marco Island Police Department participated in Operation SPIDERWEB this past week. After five months of preparatory casework, Operation SPIDERWEB culminated in the arrest of forty individuals ranging in age from 18 to 50 years old. At least one of the subjects arrested was determined to be in the United States illegally and the immigration status of two other individuals is suspect and being reviewed by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.

These individuals were arrested after task force members, posing as 11 to 15 year old children (both male and female), and used social media sites to "converse" with the adults. As a result of the computer conversations the individuals arrested decided to travel to a location to have a sexual relationship with the “virtual child” only to discover the “child” was actually a member of law enforcement.

Through investigation, the Marco Island Police Department Innocent Images Task Force Detective determined that one of those arrested, Mark G. Clark, a 37-year-old male who resides in Naples, has a connection to Marco Island. Clark was arrested for obscene communications (Use of a computer to seduce or lure a child - Felony, Travel to meet after using a computer to lure a child - Felony, and Possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana - Misdemeanor) and is an employee of a Marco Island Hotel. The Marco Island Police Department is currently working with the hotel in conjunction with the case.

The investigation continues and is considered active.