(FOX40.COM) \u2014 Law enforcement arrested 17 men from Northern California during the multi-agency Cyber Shield Operation targeting people exploiting children through online platforms.<\/p>\n
The Sutter County Sheriff’s Office said during a press conference Friday that the operation ran from July 22 to July 25, resulting in 12 arrests.<\/p>\n
Following the operation, an additional five people were arrested as suspects continued to communicate online, resulting in a total of 17 arrests.<\/p>\n
The men arrested include:<\/p>\n
Ricardo Juarez, age 18, of Yuba City<\/p>\n
Gary Lloyd Jr, age 41, of Sacramento<\/p>\n
Torrance Pryor, age 39, of Rancho Cordova<\/p>\n
Kip Ernst, age 52, of Granite Bay<\/p>\n
Valintino Cabagua, age 65, of Sacramento<\/p>\n
Rafael Zamudio, age 39, of Marysville<\/p>\n
Jason Harmon, age 44, of Marysville<\/p>\n
Thomas Saetern, age 26, of Sacramento<\/p>\n
Christopher Shipman, age 47, of Gridley<\/p>\n
Mario Sandoval-Cervantes, age 39, of Lodi<\/p>\n
Philbert Maghamil, age 26, of Lincoln<\/p>\n
Steven Koehler, age 68, of Sacramento<\/p>\n
Juan Morales-Yepes, age 56, of Yuba City<\/p>\n
Mauro Lopez-Santiago, age 50, of Marysville<\/p>\n
Keith Alvis, age 40, of Turlock<\/p>\n
Sean Margalit, age 28, of Oroville<\/p>\n
Jacob Molsberry, age 30, of Santa Rosa<\/p>\n
The sheriff’s office said that around 50 to 60 highly skilled and trained law enforcement personnel posed as children age 13-years-old and under while communicating with people on multiple online platforms.<\/p>\n
During the operation, authorities were subjected to vulgar conversations and explicit photos from the suspects arrested.<\/p>\n
Suspects were then lured to hotel rooms under the belief that they would be meeting with minors, then were arrested onsite or outside in the adjoining areas.<\/p>\n
According to the sheriff’s office, the hotel used was aware of the operation and asked that their name not be publicized.<\/p>\n
Some of the arrest charges include:<\/p>\n
Making contact and communicating with a minor with the intent to commit a sexual offense, felony<\/p>\n
Agreeing to meet with a minor for the purpose of engaging in lewd and lascivious behavior, misdemeanor<\/p>\n
Arriving at an arranged meeting place and agreeing to meet with the minor with the intent to commit a sexual act, felony<\/p>\n
Attempting lewd and lascivious acts with a child 14 years of age or younger, felony<\/p>\n
Distributing harmful matter to minors, felony<\/p>\n
All 17 cases were sent to the Sutter County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.<\/p>\n
The agencies involved include:<\/p>\n
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation<\/p>\n
California Highway Patrol<\/p>\n
Department of Homeland Security<\/p>\n
Marysville Police Department<\/p>\n
Placer County Sheriff’s Office<\/p>\n
Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department<\/p>\n
Sacramento Police Department<\/p>\n
Sac-Valley Hi-Tech Task Force<\/p>\n
Shasta County Sheriff’s Office<\/p>\n
Sutter County District Attorney’s Office<\/p>\n
Sutter County Probation Department<\/p>\n
Turlock Police Department<\/p>\n
Yolo County Sheriff’s Office<\/p>\n
Yuba City Police Department<\/p>\n
Yuba County Sheriff’s Department<\/p>\n
Learn more on air at FOX40 at 5 p.m.<\/p>\n
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