The arrests were part of a multi-agency sting during which law enforcement from 17 agencies targeted adults seeking to sexually exploit children.
Law enforcement have arrested 14 men from Fresno and Tulare counties in central California during a three-day operation targeting child sex trafficking, authorities announced this week.
Undercover federal agents also identified 30 more people chatting with operatives posing as children. More arrests could be forthcoming as investigations continue, Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni announced during a press conference Oct. 24.
The arrests were part of a multi-agency sting dubbed “Operation Boogeyman,” during which law enforcement from 17 federal, state, and local agencies targeted adults seeking to sexually exploit children.
“Operation Boogeyman is an ongoing investigation,” Mr. Zanoni said. “There’s a possibility that suspects in this case have victimized other people who may not have reported it.”
During the sting, detectives posed as preteen and early teenage boys and girls on social media apps known to be frequented by sexual predators.
Suspects reportedly used sexually explicit language and sent graphic photos to the detectives who were pretending to be children, the sheriff’s office reported.
All suspects allegedly initiated conversations and expressed their sexual desires to the undercover detectives. They also initiated a time to meet with them posing as children, according to the sheriff’s office. Once the suspects arrived at the locations, they were arrested.
Fresno-area law enforcement ran a similar 14-day operation in 2020 called “COVID Chat Down” that resulted in 34 arrests. In 2022, Operation H.O.O.K., also in that area, resulted in 19 arrests over four days, according to the sheriff’s office.
The male suspects arrested Oct. 21 were booked into Fresno County Jail on charges related to arranging to meet with a child for sex, according to the sheriff’s office. Their ages range from 21 to 59.
By Tuesday, felony charges were filed against six of the men in Fresno Superior Court. Charges include attempting a lewd act on a child under 14, attempting to contact a minor with the intent to commit a sexual offense, and traveling to an arranged meeting place with the intent to commit a sexual offense on a minor, according to Steve Wright, deputy district attorney in Fresno County.
