The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has announced the apprehension of 17 individuals as a result of a covert operation aimed at apprehending online predators targeting minors.
The operation, which took place over two days in October, involved undercover agents assuming the identities of 13- and 14-year-old teens online. The agents were approached by adult suspects for sexual encounters, leading to arranged meetings and subsequent arrests.
The arrested individuals include Randy Thomsen (38), Jazoni Hickman (20), Siaju Brown (20), Angel Rivera (40), Eskipper Monasterio (36), Daniel Frentzel (39), Robert Kafaka II (35), Scott Rotolo (34), Tanner Castro (26), Pablo Martinez (44), Jhon Adajar (35), Peter Forseth (64), Andrew Logsdon (42), Johnathan Adame (31), Santiago Guzman (40), Everado Escobedo (22), and Cristian Valera-Rodriguez (38). They are all facing charges of luring a minor via computer to engage in sexual activities.
An alarming revelation came to light when it was reported that one of the apprehended individuals, Castro, was a prosecutor in Las Vegas. He was caught attempting to meet an underage girl at a park for sexual activities in the backseat of his vehicle.
Despite expecting the minor, he was instead met by law enforcement personnel.
The successful operation was a collaborative effort involving Henderson Police, the LVMPD, the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, and the Nevada Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
The LVMPD emphasized the importance of parental awareness and vigilance in educating children about the potential hazards of engaging in online conversations with strangers. They further encouraged parents to actively monitor their children's activities on social media and other online platforms.
Anyone with relevant information or who might have been a victim of the aforementioned individuals is urged to contact the LVMPD Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force via phone at 702-828-3111. For those wishing to provide information anonymously, they can reach out to Crime Stoppers by phone at 702-385-5555 or through the Crime Stoppers website.
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