By Tiffany Williams –
Jacksonville, Fla. — A statewide effort to track down predators targeting children online has led to the arrest of a registered sexual predator accused of communicating with a juvenile and violating multiple requirements designed to monitor offenders.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement says 42-year-old Zachariah Salak of Jacksonville has been arrested following an investigation tied to FDLE’s initiative focused on locating and arresting criminals targeting children and sharing files depicting child sexual abuse.
Salak now faces a series of serious criminal charges connected to that investigation.
Authorities say he is charged with one count of transmission of harmful material to a minor, eight counts of failure of a sexual predator to register email address or internet identifier, three counts of tampering with evidence, one count of failure of a sexual predator to report a change in residential address, one count of failure of a sexual predator to report vacating a permanent residence and one count of a sexual predator residing within a certain distance of a school, park or playground.
The investigation began in January 2026 when FDLE agents received a request for assistance from the Coconut Creek Police Department.
Investigators there were working a case involving an adult male allegedly engaging in an inappropriate conversation on Snapchat with a juvenile victim.
As investigators worked to identify the person behind the online account, authorities say they traced the activity to Salak, who was already listed as a registered sexual predator living in Jacksonville.
According to investigators, the case quickly expanded as agents began examining Salak’s online activity.
Authorities say they discovered that Salak was using multiple online accounts and email addresses, including accounts on Roblox and Discord, that had not been registered with the state as required under Florida law for sexual predators.
Those registration rules are designed to give law enforcement visibility into how registered offenders use the internet and social platforms.
Investigators say those requirements were allegedly ignored in this case.
On February 10, FDLE agents moved in with assistance from the Coconut Creek Police Department and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
Salak was arrested and transported to the Duval County Jail.
The case now moves to prosecutors as investigators continue examining the evidence collected during the investigation.
Crime Beat Nation 