Florida's sluggish law enforcement response almost costs the lives of a family

FDLE was tipped off to suspect in alleged plot involving child rape, murder

On June 6 a tipster emailed a Florida Department of Law Enforcement agent, worried because 20-year-old Shawn Ryan Thomas told him he planned to kidnap a 9-year-old girl and rape her, murder her parents, use her in a child-porn movie and then kill her, too.

snip

The next day, the girl, her father and grandfather went to a Longwood house, the spot where Thomas planned the murders and rape, authorities allege. He was a film student, he claimed, and had convinced them he would cast the child in a film he was making.

The grandfather met with Thomas but grew suspicious, in part because there was no furniture in the house and the floor of one room was covered with sheets of plastic.

snip

Five days later, after FDLE learned there had been a near miss, agents took action and arrested Thomas.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-child-porn-murder-tip-20140713,0,6601925.story