The Pearland Police Department in Texas has arrested 16 male child predator suspects in a sting operation called “Back to School.” These suspects were arrested as part of an on-going effort to find those who are engaged in the online sexual exploitation of juveniles for the purpose of meeting and engaging in sexual activity. Pearland is a city located just south of Houston, Texas.
Siuxteen suspects were arrested and charged with the second degree offense of Online Solicitation of a Minor in Brazoria County, Texas. Their ages ranged from 20 to 58 years old.
The penalty for this offense is two to 20 years in prison, and can include a fine of up to $10,000.
The Pearland Police Department worked with the Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) to apprehend suspects who were using various internet sites to contact juvenile victims for the purpose of engaging in sex acts.
“Back to School” trained investigators posed as minors online and identified suspects who targeted children as victims.
The suspects would arrive for what they thought would be a meeting with a minor child, but would instead be greeted by law enforcement officers.
Breitbart Texas has reported on other sting operations have been engaged in by ICAC. Recently, operations in nearby Fort Bend, Harris, and Galveston Counties, and Harris County, have been successful in ferreting out individuals preying on children. Earlier this year, a statewide ICAC operation took place that landed an additional 17 alleged predators in jail.
The sting is an example of inter-agency cooperation between multiple law enforcement departments and district attorney’s officers, and involves the Department of Homeland Security investigations.
The “Back to School” task force consisted of representatives of the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office, Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office, Galveston Police Department, Harris County Constable Precinct 1, Houston Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations – Galveston, Jones Creek Marshal’s Office, Pearland Police Department and Webster Police Department.
When asked by Breitbart Texas whether any of these men worked in an position where they were around children, Pearland PD Lieutenant Patrick Savage said that 58-year-old Jeffrey Brasfield was a physician’s assistant.
Thirty-year-old Jake Luera has been arrested in a case out of nearby Webster, Texas, for possession of child pornography.
The police lieutenant said that the operation involves a three-day period but because operations are still ongoing, would not release the dates of that three-day period.
The Pearland Police Department is also currently looking for a previously deported illegal alien sex offender who is on the run after being accused of sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl with Down Syndrome.
Bob Price is a senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas and a member of the original Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX.
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