Coral Springs man thought he was meeting teen at hotel, but cops were waiting

A Coral Springs man is accused of going to a hotel to meet up with a 14-year-old, who turned out to be a detective posing as a teen girl.

Kyle Rosenthal, 32, was one of seven people arrested as part of a sting operation run by the Broward Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies. He’s charged with using a computer to lure a child and traveling to meet a minor after using a computer to lure a child.

Rosenthal began talking to the fake teen on Hush, an anonymous social messaging application, according to a probable cause affidavit. Rosenthal believed the person he was talking to was 14, and upon learning the fake girl’s age, he responded, “Oooh, I’m 30,” documents show.

Rosenthal reportedly wrote, “I’d (be) down to make out if that didn’t make you feel awkward,” and discussed other sexual acts he would be interested in engaging in, according to the affidavit.

They arranged for Rosenthal to meet the teen on June 25 at the Cambria Hotel in Dania Beach, where detectives were basing their sting operation, documents show. He messaged that he was on his way, and when he arrived, he was taken into custody, deputies wrote.

Deputies said Rosenthal “corroborated the chat.”

BSO said it worked the operation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other agencies to stop human trafficking and catch child predators as the World Cup matches got underway in South Florida.

“Over the course of the operation, 10 victims were rescued and connected to critical resources such as shelter, medical care and counseling to help them rebuild their lives,” deputies wrote in a news release July 2.

“Additionally, one of the victims was identified as a teenage runaway from out of town,” the release says. “She was reunited with her family and offered extensive support services.”

Rosenthal pleaded not guilty to the charges and has bonded out of jail.