A Turlock man was among 17 arrested in Sacramento for allegedly exploiting children through online platforms, according to the Sutter County Sheriff’s Office.
Keith Alvis, 40, of Turlock, was arrested during a Cyber Shield Operation that ran July 22-25, resulting in 12 arrests, according to a story on fox40.com. Five more people were arrested, as suspects continued to communicate online, resulting in the 17 arrests.
The operation included 50 to 60 law-enforcement personnel who posed as children 13-years-old and under. They communicated with people on multiple online platforms, according to the story.
The Turlock Police Department was among 16 agencies listed that collaborated in the sting.
“During the operation, authorities were subjected to vulgar conversations and explicit photos from the suspects arrested,” the sheriff’s office reported during a press conference on Friday.
Law enforcement lured suspects to hotel rooms under the guise that they would be meeting with minors, the story said. They were arrested onsite or outside in adjoining areas.
Among the charges, as reported by fox40.com, include:
Making contact and communicating with a minor with the intent to commit a sexual offense, a felony.
Agreeing to meet with a minor for the purpose of engaging in lewd and lascivious behavior, a misdemeanor.
Arriving at an arranged meeting place and agreeing to meet with the minor with the intent to commit a sexual act, felony.
Attempting lewd and lascivious acts with a child 14 years of age or younger, felony.
Distributing harmful matter to minors, felony.
The cases were sent to the Sutter County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
This story was originally published August 8, 2026 at 12:48 PM.
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