Syracuse New York Man Caught in Child Predator Sting, Tells Police “I Knew This Was a Setup”

Editor’s Notes: The chats are written as Mark Meiser sent them may be difficult to read for grammatical reasons. Meiser’s chats are grotesque and viewer discretion is advised. 

On July 30, at 4:30 p.m., Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) deputies arrested Mark Henry Meiser, 42, after he was caught in their child predator sting dubbed “Operation Firewall.” Meiser is one of 16 men who ACSO arrested in the sting. 

According to court records, Meiser is a resident of Syracuse, New York, however, the arrest report indicates he travels a lot as a truck driver.

Investigators began communicating with Meiser on July 9, creating an account on the dating application Badoo using pictures of a female ACSO employee. Meiser sent a message, stating, “wanna travel with me im always on the road be a wife I love.” The undercover (UC) detective told him that she didn’t want to waste his time and she could be too young due to her profile age being incorrect. 

“Ok that don’t bother me,” responded Meiser. “How old r u. nd you could if you wanted because I would take care of you no matter what.” 

UC identified herself as 14. Meiser responded that he hoped she was 16 or 17 (still illegal in Florida) but said “we can still talk if you want.”

UC said she would turn 15 next year and was just starting high school. Mesier tells her she could “come in two years” and asks her about traveling and if she could leave by herself. Meiser said he drives semi-trucks and tried to convince UC to meet in Palatka. When UC states she could not leave due to her mother, Meiser began coaching her on how she could leave the house and get a job at 16.

Meiser called the presumed 14-year-old his "beautiful queen” and told her “love you.” Meiser directed UC to download another application that allows texting through a wifi number and they began communicating on Text-Me.

After asking for a picture, UC sent a picture with her tongue sticking out. Meiser commented on her tongue piercing, stating it “works very well” and “when the time comes right, it’s going to hurt.” UC told him she thinks she could “deal with pain” and Meiser said “I will teach you everything you need to know when the time comes.” Meiser subsequently sent a photo of his genitals and told UC to delete it after looking. Meiser followed this up with sending UC videos of sexual activity between adults. Meiser told the presumed child he would “be nice and slow and make it feel good.”

UC went on to say that she was sexually inexperienced and Meiser said “Don’t worry I will teach you I will show you I will shape you for the person that I like.”

The conversation eventually transitioned to Instagram at UC’s request. Meiser tells her he wants her to “run away” with him, before reportedly sending “multiple images explaining what a child can do with or without parental consent.” 

Progressing further into depravity, Meiser would tell UC that he wanted to punish her with handcuffs and spank her over his knee. Meiser told UC he’d “take care” of her. 

On July 30, Meiser traveled from Orlando to Gainesville to meet UC and he told her that while in the truck, she would either be in a t-shirt and panties or “naked.” While traveling, he sent UC another picture of his penis and said he imagined her “chocking on it.” Meiser then told her, “Open wide and say ahhh, its time for your oral exam,” before sending additional files of porn. 

Prior to his arrival, Meiser told UC to delete all their communications. He was detained at a Circle K they agreed to meet at. 

“I knew this was a setup,” said Meiser. “I can’t believe I fell for it.” 

Meiser spoke to police in an interview which is summarized by Deputy Josh Dawson:

"Contact was made with [Meiser] inside an interview room. Before Miranda could be read [Meiser] started telling detectives that he made a mistake and did something that was wrong on the internet. Detective [Desiree] Russano told [Meiser] that Miranda had to be read before we could speak with him. She read Miranda to him from her agency printed text. Post Miranda, [Meiser] stated they understood their rights…

[Meiser] explained that he met the UC on the dating application, Badoo. The two had been talking for approximately 1 month. He claimed that the two were talking for a couple of weeks prior to learning the UC's age (This is a lie; the UC disclosed her age within the first four messages sent from the UC.) [Meiser] said that during their conversations [they] talked about sex, but that was because the UC brought up sex first: (This is a lie; the conversation changed to sexually driven after [Meiser] sent his penis picture on the first day of communication.) He explained that plans were made with the UC to meet today, July 30, 2026, but he had had a change of heart. He was planning on telling the UC to go back home and stop being a problem child. [Meiser] stated that the proof was in the fact he was only going to purchase one drink and not two. He explained that he had received a call from his children and that they wanted him to come home.

[Meiser] explained that the UC and he had planned on her going to meet him at the Circle K. The two were going to ‘hang out.’ He was asked if they were going to have sex. [Meiser] advised that he did not know what was going to happen. He had the intention of taking his truck to a truck stop and spending a couple of days with the UC there. Afterwards, returning her home and he would be on his way. [Meiser] advised that he was at a low point in his life and was ‘thinking with the wrong head.’

Detective Russano clarified with [Meiser] that [he] did in fact know the UC's age (14 years old) at the time of the sexual conversation. He also knew her age when he sent his penis pictures and the adult pornography videos to the child's account. [Meiser] also agreed that continuing communication with a 14-year-old child was wrong."

Meiser faces one count of online child solicitation, one count of traveling to meet a child after online solicitation, 12 counts of transmitting harmful material to a minor, one count of explicitly or harmfully communicating with a minor and one count of using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony. He faces a maximum of 100 years in prison if found guilty and is held without bond due to prosecutors filing a successful pretrial detention motion.