LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. (WACH) — Irmo police have arrested eight men in an undercover chat operation on social media.
The Irmo Police Department hosted an undercover chat operation consisting of multiple agencies, including local, state, and federal, to catch suspected online child predators.
Investigators posed as either a child or an adult with access to children, and they say multiple suspected predators not only contacted them but also revealed harmful intentions.
After moving beyond online communication and arranging in-person meetings to engage in sexual activity with those they believed to be children, officers intervened. The men arrived expecting to meet a child but were met by law enforcement instead.
“The importance of proactive Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) operations cannot be overstated. The safety of our children and the integrity of our community depend on our ability to stay one step ahead of those who seek to harm our most vulnerable members. We are sending a CLEAR message: If you seek to harm our children, we will find you and you will be held accountable.” Chief Bobby Dale said.
The following men have been arrested:
- Brittain Cody Ratliff, 25 of Lexington: Charged with Attempted Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor, 2nd Degree and Criminal Solicitation of a Minor.
- Joshua Robert McCullough, 29 of West Columbia: Charged with Attempted Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor, 2nd Degree and Criminal Solicitation of a Minor.
- Jose Hermilo Gonzales Moreno, 49 of Newberry: Charged with Attempted Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor, 2nd Degree, Criminal Solicitation of a Minor, and had an ICE Detainer.
- Timothy Bernard Woods, 53 of Lugoff: Charged with Attempted Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor, 2nd Degree and Criminal Solicitation of a Minor.
- Drasan Lee King, 28 of Woodruff: Charged with Attempted Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor, 2nd Degree, Criminal Solicitation of a Minor, Failure to Stop for Blue Lights, Reckless Driving, Disregarding Traffic Control Device, Open Container, and Littering.
- Phillip Scott Westmoreland, 44 of Winnsboro: Charged with Attempted Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor, 2nd Degree, Criminal Solicitation of a Minor (2 Counts), Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, 1st Degree, and Unlawful Dissemination of Obscene Material to Persons Under 18 (2 Counts)
- Thomas Michael Raimondi, Jr., 59 of Aiken: Charged with Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, 1st Degree, Criminal Solicitation of a Minor and Unlawful Dissemination of Obscene Material to Persons Under 18 (2 Counts)
- Jason Adam Wilson, 34 of Anderson: Charged with Criminal Solicitation of a Minor, Unlawful Dissemination of Obscene Material to Persons Under 18. He was also wanted by the South Carolina Probation, Pardon, and Parole.
The following agencies assisted:
- South Carolina Attorney General’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force
- South Carolina Law Enforcement Division’s (SLED) SWAT Team
- Lexington Police Department; Charleston County Sheriff’s Office
- Anderson County Sheriff’s Office;
- South Carolina Department of Corrections
- United States Army Criminal Investigations Division
- United States Department of Homeland Security and the United States Secret Service
