An undercover sting led to a Lakeland man’s arrest at Walt Disney World after he sent explicit images to a detective posing as a 13-year-old boy on Snapchat, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said.
According to the affidavit, an undercover deputy was using a Snapchat account in August 2026 when a user named “madmax17245” reached out. The user identified himself as a 37-year-old male from the Orlando area. The deputy reacted by identifying himself as a 13-year-old boy.
According to the affidavit, Michael Byrne delivered an obscene image and three videos to the undercover deputy before requesting images in return. Investigators eventually traced the account to Byrne.
When authorities approached Byrne at a Central Florida residence, he admitted to owning the Snapchat account but claimed he had no idea he was chatting with a 13-year-old.
The address where Byrne was detained, 751 Backstage Lane, is affiliated with Walt Disney World’s backstage areas. Disney informed News 6 that Byrne is not an employee. It is unclear how Byrne got to the place.
Byrne was charged with computer-based solicitation of a juvenile, transfer of harmful material to minors, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
Byrne was taken to the Orange County Jail after his arrest. He was held without bond on soliciting and transmission charges.
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