Sting nabs 19 men in Fresno trying to meet kids for sex, cops say. One was a firefighter
Fresno law enforcement announced Monday the arrest of 19 men who had arranged to meet a minor for sex during a sting operation.
The men arrested were between the ages of 31 and 49 and were taken into custody between Wednesday and Saturday in Operation HOOK, Hands Off Our Kids, Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims said at a news conference.
Among the men arrested was a firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service who was working in Fresno. He drove an engine to the location to meet for sex, Mims sad.
The men used sexually explicit language and sent graphic photos to who they believed were underage boys or girls, she said. No actual children were involved in the operation.
“All of the suspects were the first to express sexual desires,” she said.
They spoke to the children through social apps commonly found on cellphones.
The operation involved 17 law enforcement agencies, including the California Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, officials said.
“If you go after our children, we’ll go after you,” DOJ Law Enforcement Division Chief John Marsh said. “Public safety is our top priority.”
Officials said the operation is ongoing and could result in additional arrests.
Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama said an effort running concurrently with the operation rescued nine women who had been human trafficked.
He said children can be targeted for trafficking through similar methods online.
“Human trafficking continues to be a significant problem in our community,” Balderrama said. “We were able to rescue nine different women who accepted services, and that’s something we can be very, very proud of.”
Officials said one of the 19 arrested had a criminal record, but it was not related to sex crimes.
Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp said parents need to track what their children are doing online, and encouraged parents to know their children’s passwords.
“The greatest evil and the greatest threat to children is the cellphone,” she said. “Be aware of what’s going on on your children’s phone.”
The men arrested were Rodrigo Arriaga, 37, of Fresno; Anthony Escobedo, 37, of Sanger; Juan Reyes, 37, of Clovis; Daniel Holguin, 28, of Fresno; Flavio Rodriguez, 27, of Fresno; Victor Martinez Juarez, 48, of Selma; Cameron Mudge, 26, of Fresno; Francisco Lopez, 45, of Fresno; Ko Xiong, 29, of Fresno; Eduardo Blancarte Cardenas, 49, of Fresno; Joffrey Ballad, 40, of Clovis; Leonardo Rodriguez, 35, of Fresno; Lang Her, 28, of Fresno; Michael Castro, 36, of Fresno; Alexis Rosas, 30, of Fresno; Richard Sith, 30, of Fresno; Angel Gonzalez, 49, of Fresno; Luis Garcia, 38, of Patterson; and Mark McGill Jr., 38, of Perris.
