The group faces more than 80 felony counts, driving from as far as Canada to meet with detectives they thought were minors.
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — An undercover operation by the Fairfax County Police Department’s Child Exploitation Unit ended with 16 men in handcuffs — all accused of sexually soliciting a minor.
The operation, labeled “Caught in the Web,” targets predators who use the internet to get in communication with minors for sexual acts. Detectives pretend to be minors online to catch predators before they can impact more lives.
The men caught, ages 20-65, face more than 80 felony charges combined.
“I’m looking forward to one day launching one of these investigations and having our detectives inform me and the rest of us that there were no takers,” Police Chief Kevin Davis said. “Unfortunately, we’re here today to announce 16 criminal arrests.”
In Wednesday’s announced operation, officials said they received a litany of evidence from the predators targeted, with nine of the 16 suspects arrested traveling to a location in Fairfax County expecting to meet up with a minor.
Police say one suspect drove from as far as Canada, because he believed the minors parents were out of town.
“The harm they do is not just to a young person when that young person is young, but it stays with that victim and the victim’s family the rest of their lives,” Davis said. “That’s why we remain committed to launching these operations and sharing it with our community.”
Several of the nine suspects, officers said, arrived to the meet up location with drugs, alcohol and contraceptives, with the intent to use them during their interaction with a minor.
Detectives also said many of the suspected offenders asked for sexually explicit images in communications or sent explicit images of themselves to the detectives. One suspect allegedly kept communications running for “months” before attempting to meet up with the minor, according to Assistant Police Chief Brooke Wright.
“We want them to know that our investigations are continuing and we’re striving to protect everybody in the community,” Wright said. “The investigations don’t stop when the arrest occurs, there’s obviously evidence that the detectives will be analyzing following these arrests that may lead to other investigations.”
Wright emphasized the importance of awareness in these cases as children become more connected to the internet.
“We’re being very proactive while the kids are out of school to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to protect children in this community,” Wright said. “It’s normal to go online, but it is not normal for adults to form relationships with children online. If someone’s contacting you that you do not know, please do not respond to them.”
Wright called on parents to talk to their children about sexual predators online, as a crucial first defense against child exploitation.
“Technology eludes a lot of us who are older and we know that it’s hard to talk to your kids about something that you might not be as familiar with,” Wright said. “Educate yourself about what your kids are being exposed to.”
The Fairfax County Police Department is asking anyone with information on any predators to contact the Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800.
