- Cops in Gwinnett County, Georgia announced nearly two dozen arrests Monday
- Inter-agency task-force targeted suspected child sex predators online
- Men are accused of talking to kids online and traveling to have sex with them
- Alleged predators targeted both boys and girls, investigators say
A undercover police dragnet targeting
online predators who chat with children and travel to have sex with them
has led to the arrests of 23 men, one of whom is in the Air Force.
Police
in Gwinnett County, Georgia announced the sting on Monday, saying a
15-agency task-force had made the arrests over the past five days in
what it is dubbing 'Operation Spring Cleaning'.
The
men, who range in age from 19 to 48, have been charged under a state
law banning obscene communication with minors and communications for the
purpose of meeting kids for sex.
Police
say the men traveled to Gwinnett County from other areas around the
Atlanta metro area with the intent to meet a child for sex. The men's
interest in children included both boys and girls, police said.
Left to right: Scott Robert Baxter, Andrew Sean Carroll, Brian Dwayne Clark, Alisha Gagguturu
L to R: Connor Fionn Hale, Demetrius Deshawn Harper, Joel Blake Jackson, Rasesh Jagtap
The operation also targeted those who were willing to exploit children by paying for sex with a minor.
Those
arrested were employed in such fields as warehouses, maintenance, IT,
construction, and retail, and some were unemployed, according to
police.
One man arrested, Edward Harold Ramsey of Wichita, Kansas, is in the US Air Force.
Since
2014, Georgia police have arrested 77 people in stings similar to this
one, which police called a 'proactive undercover investigation'.
L to R: Akshat Jasra, David Kelley, Steven Anthony King, Horacio Mendoza
L to R: Andrew Ryan Murphy, Max Park, Edward Harold Ramsey, Melchior Simon
'This
successful operation was a partnership amongst all the agencies
involved,' Georgia Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge
Debbie Garner said in a statement.
'We will continue to aggressively work together to protect our children,' she said.
The
GBI was the coordinating agency in the undercover operation, in which
state, federal, and local law enforcement participated.
L to R: Martinez-Torres Sixto, Brett William Smith, Zadok Smith, James Evan Soggs
L to R: Adis Spahic, Ertiza Talukder, William David Warren
LIST OF SUSPECTS ARRESTED IN 'OPERATION SPRING CLEANING'
1. Scott Robert Baxter, Tucker, GA, 34, retail employee
2. Andrew Sean Carroll, Dacula, GA, 19, grounds maintenance
3. Brian Dwayne Clark, Winder, GA, 41, mechanic
4. Alisha Gagguturu, Suwanee, GA, 23, unknown
5. Connor Fionn Hale, Lawrenceville, GA, 23, unemployed
6. Demetrius Deshawn Harper, Lawrenceville, GA, 22, automotive technician
7. Joel Blake Jackson, from Braselton, GA, 22, gas station attendant
8. Rasesh Jagtap, Alpharetta, GA, 33, information technology specialist
9. Akshat Jasra, Alpharetta, GA, 35, software consultant
10. David Kelley, College Park, GA, 22, model display builder
11. Steven Anthony King, Clarksville, GA, 26, warehouse employee
12. Horacio Mendoza, Lawrenceville, GA, 48, construction worker
13. Andrew Ryan Murphy, Norcross, GA, 22, janitor
14. Max Park, Suwanee, GA, 37, unemployed
15. Edward Harold Ramsey, Wichita, KS, 24, USAF
16. Melchior Simon, Duluth, GA, 28, unemployed
17. Martinez-Torres Sixto , from Norcross, GA, 30, electrician
18. Brett William Smith, Jr., 35, floor installer
19. Zadok Smith, Duluth, GA, 27, furniture assembler
20. James Evan Soggs, Sandy Springs, GA, 20, warehouse employee
21. Adis Spahic, from Lawrenceville, GA, 40, warehouse manager
22. Ertiza Talukder, Lawrenceville, GA, 23, hotel employee
23. William David Warren, Winder, GA, 41, shop foreman
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