Silke Jasso
It looks like these sick criminals didn’t get the whole COVID-19 lockdown memo. Police in Virginia successfully arrested 30 pedophiles who were attempting to meet up with children for sex. The men all ranged in age from 20 to 74 and were all arrested in a single county. “Sting Operation COVID Crackdown” was devised in order to catch sexual predators who were preying on children who were forced to conduct school work online and spend more time on the internet amid the coronavirus outbreak.
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In the sting, Fairfax County police officers claimed each offender had used online platforms to initiate explicit conversation in an attempt to solicit sex from a child. What these pedophiles didn’t know was that they were actually talking to a police officer posing as a child on the other end. So, as they arranged to meet the victim at an agreed location, whenever they arrived they found a team of detectives waiting for them instead and were taken into custody. Because well, you snooze you lose, sickos.
Thirty perverts targeting the surge of kids online because of school shutdowns were busted in a Virginia sting operation called “Operation COVID Crackdown,” authorities said.https://t.co/kMm8OWQLIE
— Sean Guay 💯 (@sguay09) April 22, 2020
The operation was targeted at a single county of Virginia, Fairfax, where it has a population of 22,000. The online predators arrested range in age from 20 to 74 and were collectively charged with 68 felonies. According to authorities, “school closures and the implementation of distance learning has increased children’s online usage and presence, which places them at a higher possibility for risk.”
According to Major Ed O’Carroll, Bureau Commander with Major Crimes, the department commented on officer’s “ability to adapt during the unprecedented public health pandemic and to do so in the interest of protecting our children and bringing justice to those who commit these repugnant crimes.” O’Carroll advises parents and guardians to always monitor their children’s online activities and use available security settings to prevent usage of age-inappropriate platforms or sites. Parents are also advised to encourage children to report any person engaging in inappropriate conversation or those who are trying to correct them into providing sexually explicit messages or images of themselves.
For information and free resources on preventing child exploitation, or to report online exploitation, visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s website.
Names and charges below.
Row 1 from left to right
- Cesar Vales II, 29, of Manassas, charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties
- Halmar Lizama Henriquez, 26, of no fixed address, charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties
- Juan Moreno Colindres, 65, of Maryland, charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties
- Moises Aguilar Cano, 36, of Manassas, charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties
- Renzo Portal, 26, of Centreville, charged with solicitation of a minor and soliciting a minor for prostitution
- Zachary Kearns, 31, of Oakton, charged with two counts of solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties
Row 2 from left to right
- Carlos Deras Lopez, 30, of Alexandria, charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties
- Franklin Galvez, 25, of Maryland, charged with solicitation of a minor and soliciting a minor for prostitution
- Jose Argueta Amaya, 32, of West Virginia, charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties
- Mohamed Mansaray, 23, of Alexandria, charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties
- Pedro Gonzalez, 50, of Fairfax, charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties
- Yuson Joshi, 27, of Woodbridge, charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties
Row 3 from left to right:
- Carlos Giron-Reyes, 22, of Woodbridge, charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties
- Eric Womack, 36, of Washinton D.C., charged with two counts of solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties
- Jean Pardo Pesantes, 22, of Maryland, charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties
- Jose Mejia Carabantes, 36, of Fairfax, charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties
- Nelson Sosa Grande, 38, of Fairfax, charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties
- Xavier Jackson, 24, of Springfield, charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties
Row 4 from left to right:
- Alfonso Diaz-Martinez, 36, of Sterling, was charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties
- Concepcion Gonzalez, 38, of Reston, was charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties
- Japher Flores Arriaza, 20, of Fairfax, was charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties
- Kumar Bhandari, 37, of Annandale, was charged with two counts of solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties
- Nelson Diaz Ramos, 32, of Annandale, was charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties
- Tod Rehm, 74, of Fairfax, was charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties
Row 5 from left to right:
- Adam Wheeling, 26, of Haymarket, was charged with four counts of solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties
- Christopher Barnard, 27, of Burke, was charged with solicitation of a minor and soliciting a minor for prostitution
- James Rosenberger, 28, of Warrenton, was charged with two counts of solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties
- Kirrolos Guirguis, 25, of Herndon, was charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties
- Naga Bollina, 42, of Ashburn, was charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties
- Thomas Kuglin, 39, of Chantilly, was charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties
