By Jack Davis,
A multi-agency task force has arrested 17 suspects in an online sting aimed at child sex predators.
The Las Vegas arrests came through the work of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and other agencies, according to KTNV.
One of the suspects has been fired after being employed as a deputy district attorney, according to KRNV-TV.
Undercover agents posed as 13 and 14-year-old juveniles on Oct. 13 and Oct. 14, KTNV reported.
Once the agents were contacted, they set up meetings, at which time the suspects were arrested.
All 17 suspects were charged with Luring a Minor with a Computer to Engage in Sex.
Those arrested were: Randy Thomsen, 38; Jazoni Hickman, 20; Siaju Brown, 20; Angel Rivera, 40; Eskipper Monasterio, 36; Daniel Frentzel, 39; Robert Kafaka II, 35; Scott Rotolo, 34; Tanner Castro, 26; Pablo Martinez, 44; Jhon Adajar, 35; Peter Forseth, 64; Andrew Logsdon, 42; Johnathan Adame, 31; Santiago Guzman (also known as Benigno Remingo-Soto), 40; Everado Escobedo, 22; and Cristian Valera-Rodriguez, 38.
An undercover multi-agency operation in October led to 17 arrests. Agents posed as juveniles and were solicited for sex.
LVMPD would like to remind parents of the dangers of online chats with strangers.
Click below for more info on these arrests. pic.twitter.com/hDkAVpR6yO
— LVMPD (@LVMPD) October 19, 2023
Castro was a prosecutor at the time of his arrest, according to KLAS-TV.
Police have alleged that Castro was seeking to meet an underage girl at a park and have sex in his vehicle.
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said Castro was hired by the office on Sept. 2, but was fired the Monday after his arrest.
Castro is alleged to have used the name “Rogue 96” during his communication with the supposed underage girl, police said.
On the cell phone applications there were used, “subjects are much more likely to encourage a child to produce child sexual abuse material […] to use these platforms to speak and possibly coordinate a meeting date/time and location for sexual contact with a child,” the arrest report said.
“The user later agreed to meet the decoy for sexual contact at a predetermined meeting location,” police wrote. “The sexual contact included having sex in the backseat of the subject’s car.”
Castro faces a charge of statutory sexual seduction, police said.
“The LVMPD would like to remind parents to discuss with their children the dangers of online chats with strangers,” police said in a news release, according to KTNV.
“Parents are encouraged to routinely monitor their children’s activity on social media and other online applications to prevent them from becoming victims of a child sex predator,” police said.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
