Fairfax County police have charged five local men in connection with an online sting that sought to identify and apprehend predators who use the internet to exploit children, On Tuesday April 21, police said the arrests took place earlier this month.
Charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties were Pedro Gonzalez, 50; Jose Mejia Carabantes, 36; Nelson Sosa Grande, 38; Japher Flores Arriaza, 20; and Tod Rehm, 74, all of Fairfax.
Detectives from the Major Crimes and Organized Crime and Intelligence Bureaus arrested 30 men total during “Operation COVID Crackdown.” In each case, the alleged offenders used online platforms to initiate explicit conversations and solicit sex from police officers posing as children.
Then, when each of the suspects arrived at agreed-upon locations to meet these “children” in person, detectives took them into custody. The men, ranging in age from 20-74, were charged with a combined 68 felonies.
“Our detectives have remained vigilant. and they recognized the increased threat posed by online predators in recent weeks,” said Major Ed O’Carroll, Bureau Commander, Major Crimes. “I commend their ability to adapt during this unprecedented, public-health pandemic and to do so in the interest of protecting our children and bringing justice to those who commit these repugnant crimes.”