PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — A St. Petersburg man was arrested in Holiday on Tuesday, where the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office says he traveled with plans to have sex with a teenager.
- Suspicious vehicle spotted by school custodian
- Kevin Balardini, 45, facing multiple charges
- More Pasco County stories
But thanks to the watchful eyes of staff at Paul R. Smith Middle School, 45-year-old Kevin Balardini of St. Petersburg was arrested first.
School custodian Raymond Escobar describes seeing a suspicious car in his school's bus loop.
"When I looked out the back door over here, the car was right here,” said Escobar. “Keep on moving forward and backwards, forward and backwards and then finally left, and went all the way to Anclote."
Deputies say Balardini was going to Anclote High School to meet up with a 16-year-old girl. The arrest report details plans made to meet up for sex.
The agreement, at first, was for $100. Then Balardini agreed to buy the girl a vaping device.
The report also says Balardini, who already has a history of human trafficking, had a condom and male enhancement pills in his car.
Parents at the school say they’re disgusted with the man.
"I think it's awful,” said Brian Stewart. “I'm glad that they got caught, he deserves the fullest — whatever they throw at him he deserves to get. They're just kids."
Administrators say “see something, say something” training helped prevent the plan from being carried out.
"I don't want anything to happen to any of our kids or the ones at Anclote, said Escobar. “So I did feel good that I did help a little bit with something."
Balardini faces a number of charges, including contributing to the delinquency of a minor, traveling to meet a minor and trespassing on school grounds.
Kevin Balardini. (Courtesy of Pasco County Sheriff's Office)