Juan Guzman

> "Like I said, I lost my mind."
>
> - Juan's reasoning for trying to molest a minor

Juan's Polk County mugshot

**Juan Carlos Guzman** is a potential predator who was caught in the **Polk County, Florida** sting on *Takedown with Chris Hansen*. He is best known for his honest attitude throughout his interview with Chris Hansen.

## Prior to the sting

Juan immigrated from Mexico to the United States in 2004, setting up a life for himself with his wife in Hollywood, Florida. He gained employment at two separate jobs in hospital maintenance and home repairs, which included renovations and improvements.

## Chat and arrest

Juan, thirty-nine at the time of the sting, initiated a chat with a sheriff's decoy posing as a fourteen-year-old girl. He lied about his age by one year, claiming to be thirty-eight. Although he initially acknowledged she was too young when she said she wasn't eighteen, Juan's fears quickly subsided, and he proceeded to ask the decoy if she was "looking for friends, boyfriend, or sugar daddy?", claiming he was "looking for just hanging out and have fun." He admitted that he would want to see the decoy if he ever went to Kissimee, continuing to acknowledge that he would get in trouble for doing such a thing, but still promising to do so if he was in the city. He would profess he had feelings for the deocy, again wishing she was eighteen, but still continuing to chat, lying and telling the deocy he didn't have a girlfriend despite being married. He then told the decoy he could "teach [her] anything [she] want", hoping the decoy wouldn't tell anyone. The decoy denied this, claiming that her mother would not be pleased. When the Sheriff's decoy gave Juan an out, he decided to keep talking to the decoy "little by little", declaring he would like to be the girl's first.

Juan's chat got progressively more explicit, at one point sending pornographic images of himself to the decoy, as well as asking her if her mother ever checked her phone, which the decoy denied. He would describe in detail the sexual acts he wanted to perform, such as kissing the decoy's breasts, describing their size as "perfect," and attempting to solicit the decoy for naked pictures. He even asked the decoy if she ever masturbated, even proclaiming he would fly out to visit the decoy at her home in Virginia if their relationship worked out, talking about the size of his penis and asking the decoy if she would masturbate while they chatted. When the decoy expressed fear over getting hurt, Juan went on about making her excited and explained doggy-style sex to her.

When the decoy claimed her mother was away at work, Juan made the three hour drive from Hollywood to Kissimee, making a stop at a gas station to pick up condoms, beef jerky, and Fanta orange. When Juan arrived, he was arrested by the Sheriff's deputies. Hilariously, despite being threatened at gunpoint, Juan continued to casually chew the gum in his mouth as he was arrested and searched, with his phone being seized by the arresting officers.

## Interview with Chris Hansen

In the interrogation room, Juan was interviewed by detectives before Chris Hansen entered the room to interview him. When Chris asked Juan to help him understand the situation, with Juan admitting what he did was a mistake, acknowledging the girl was underage. With a somber look on his face, Juan told Chris that the profile said the decoy was eighteen, but admitted he was later told by the deocy she was fourteen. He tried to argue that the photograph of the decoy looked older, but Chris refuted this. Juan then claimed that, due to him chatting online, he forgot about everything else around him and became weak, not thinking as he chatted up a minor with intent to molest her. He then admitted to sending the decoy naked photographs of himself and telling her what he wanted to do to her, describing his actions as "stupidities." Juan then claimed that, as he was arriving, he knew what he was doing wasn't right. When asked if he thought he would have had sex with the girl, Juan said that he was thinking "yes and no." He then told Chris that, as he was arriving, he was getting nervous and having second thoughts, going on to describe how the Sheriff's deputies were moving in on him. He then denied having any conversations with any other minors online.

When Chris asked why Juan would decide to do something like attempting to solicit a minor online, Juan made the claim that he "lost [his] mind" and didn't know what he was thinking, knowing he shouldn't have done it. Juan told Chris he worked in hospital maintenance and home repairs, rennovations and improvements, going on to describe his decision to go through with the meeting as a devil on the shoulder situation. When asked if he thought his behaviour was appropriate, he admitted it was not, claiming even he didn't understand himself why this had happened. He then admitted to Chris that he lied about being single and revealed he was actually married. When asked how how his wife would feel, Juan described it as a "big problem." When confronted over the explicit nature of his chat, Juan called his actions "disgusting" and began to realise the true gravity of his actions. When asked how it looked that he brought condoms he bought on the way, Juan admitted he did what he did without realising the consequences. Juan further expressed regret and reiterated he had never done such a thing before, going on to reason that his heavy working schedule and lack of time spent with his wife was a motivitating factor in his decision, also admitting he still couldn't fully understand why he did this.

When Chris brought up the prospect that Juan may have done potentially dangerous things to patients in the hospital, Juan denied this, affirming he strictly focused on his work. When he was officially exposed as being on television, Juan admitted one last time that what he did was "disgusting" before being taken back to the holding cell.

## Aftermath

Juan was charged with four felonies: Travelling to Meet a Child After Using a Computer, Use of a Two-Way Communication Device to Commit a Felony, Transmitting Material Harmful to a Minor, and Attempted Lewd Battery. He pleaded not guilty to all charges and requested a jury trial, with a pre-trial conference hearing set for January 26th, 2023.

## Trivia

* Juan was held in the same holding facility as his stingmate Andrew Lewis, although it is unknown if the two men ever interacted.
* Although Juan expressed remorse and regret, he never once actually apologises for his actions throughout the entire sting.