Jackson Township, Ohio, law enforcement apprehended 14 men seeking sex with underage boys and girls in a four-day sting operation.
Township Police Chief Chief Mark H. Brink told reporters that a team of officers used as-yet unidentified social media apps to pose as children between the ages of 12 and 15. Some of the unwitting pedophiles responded with nude pictures of themselves, while others showed up for their “date” with condoms and lubricant.
Lured to an undisclosed location by the opportunity to rape children, the offenders — including a local preschool teacher — were taken into custody one by one. One suspect was delayed because his wife was home, while another fled for all of 300 yards once he realized the 15-year-old he was trying to molest was actually an adult officer.
Identified would-be predators include Daylon Rookard, Jonathan Settle, Adam Leidtke, Adam Burandt, Austin Lyle, Cody Allen, Daniel Zwick, Daniel Fiorentino, Jeremia Smith, Jerry Ragsdale, Punit Saraf, Reginald McCullough, Ryan Malcuit, and Robert Becker.
“These offenders are preying on the vulnerability and curiosity of these children to victimize them not through force or coercion or the promise of money, but by simple grooming techniques and pretending to be interested in them,” Brink said in a statement.
According to Stark County Sheriff George T. Maier, the sting was prepared over the course of five months. All suspects, save a single fast food worker, were released on a $50,000 bond shortly after being arrested. All suspects have been charged with importuning and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, according to Stark County Jail records obtained by the Canton Rep.
The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Stark County Sheriff’s Office, the State Highway Patrol cooperated with other law enforcement agencies to bring these men to justice. Brink reassured the public that the success of “Operation Unsportsmanlike Conduct” does not mean police are going to slow down. “We are going to continue to have a presence in this area,” Brink said, continuing:
We want to get out in front of this issue; we don’t simply want to react to it. And we want these predators to know that if you think you’re going to meet up with a child in Jackson Township or Stark County, there’s a good chance that you’re going to meet up with a law enforcement agent.
Or, as he then summarized, “Predator beware.”