FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (7News) — Seven men, including two teachers, will face a total of 25 felony charges in Fairfax County, Virginia after a police operation targeting online predators, according to Fairfax County Police Department (FcPD) on Tuesday.
The men, ages between 24 and 50, were reportedly caught using social media platforms to send inappropriate messages to undercover agents posing as minors. All seven suspects thought they were meeting with a minor at a designated area to carry out alleged sexual encounters but were arrested by police, authorities said.
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The following suspects were identified and face multiple charges:
- 50-year-old Chad Hockman, of Warrenton, Va.: Charged with Solicitation of a Minor and indecent Liberties with a Minor.
- 47-year-old Carlos Antonio Saenz, of Manassas, Va.: Charged with Solicitation of a Minor, Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor, and Production of Child
- 28-year-old Gustavo Ramos Cahuaya, of Sterling, Va.: Charged with Solicitation of a Minor, Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor, and Production of Child
- Richard Joseph Berkowitz, of Fairfax, Va. Charged with four counts of Solicitation of a Minor and two counts of Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material.
- 48-year-old Enrique Montesflores Espana, of Arlington, Va.: Charged with Solicitation of a Minor and Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor.
- 24-year-old Charles Stephen Wolf, of Washinton, D.C.: Charged with three counts of Solicitation of a Minor, Use of Vehicle to Promote Unlawful Sexual Intercourse with a Minor, and Indecent Liberties with a Minor.
- 45-year-old Geoffrey Testa, of New York: Charged with four counts of Solicitation of a Minor and Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material.
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Berkowitz, a physical education teacher at Falls Church High School since 2013, was initially suspended on Jan. 27, according to FCPD Police Chief Kevin Davis.
Testa, a teacher at Amherst Central High School in Buffalo was detained by state officials and taken to Erie County Correctional Center pending extradition to Fairfax County. The Amherst Central Schools faculty directory made no mention of Testa on its website as of Tuesday.
Davis warned in April 2024 that child sex abuse cases have increased. That same month, five Virginia and Maryland residents were arrested by county police in an online operation that occurred while students were on spring break.
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The operation was carried out using fake accounts on social media apps like TikTok, Snapchat, and several others.
At the time, Davis and other Fairfax County officials warned parents to become more involved in their child’s social media habits and pay more attention to their phone usage.