Andrew Lewis

Drew was a twenty-five-year-old audio-visual technician at the time of the Polk County sting.

Drew acted confused but tried reasoning with the officers by lowering his window, asking them how he was supposed to unlock the door and raise his hands at the same time. One of the officers threatened to shoot Drew if he didn't comply. Once Drew finally unlocked the passenger side door, he was dragged out onto the floor outside and put in handcuffs. In his vehicle, the police found a condom on the driver's seat and a loaded handgun.

After being interrogated by detectives, Chris Hansen was granted permission to interview Drew in the interrogation room. When Hansen attempted to dismiss his claim by asking Drew how many times he thought he'd heard that, Drew said he "didn't know" about the other "fellas" Hansen had interviewed, but denied being "that type of fella", as well as vehemently denying he was a predator when asked if he thought he was. He classed his actions as a "serious mistake" and said he wasn't perfect, as well as telling Hansen he understood how it looked because he was sitting in a police station with handcuffs. When Hansen tried to get more out of Drew by asking what his intent was, Drew refused to answer the question, quickly following this up by telling Hansen he didn't want to answer any questions he had already been asked by detectives.

Drew was charged with three felonies: Traveling to Meet a Minor, Attempted Lewd Battery on a Child, and Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device. He was also charged with two misdemeanors: Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He pleaded not guilty to all charges and was given a pre-trial hearing on January 17th, 2023. He was eventually convicted of Traveling to Meet a Minor and Attempted Lewd Battery on a Child in a plea agreement that dropped the other charges. He was sentenced to 48 months in prison, with 3 days credit for time served, followed by 84 months of probation. He will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release. He is scheduled to be released on November 4, 2027.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd remarked that, although the handgun could've been for personal safety, it could also have been used by Drew to dispose of his only witness to the sex crime he was prepared to commit, calling him (as well as other predators) "sickened" and "deviant."

Lewis' Florida Department of Corrections picture.