FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) – A major sting operation in California sent 19 suspects to jail after authorities say they attempted to meet with children for sex.
Authorities with Operation H.O.O.K., an acronym for Hands Off Our Kids, say they busted 19 would-be sex predators, all men, last week. For hours, detectives posed as minors on a variety of online chat rooms and apps.
“All of the suspects were first to express their sexual desires, and they initiated a time to meet with a detective posing as a child,” said Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims.
Mims says the detectives made their fictitious ages clear – some posing as children as young as 12 – and still, the suspects allegedly planned to meet them for sex.
The operation involved local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.
“The greatest evil and the greatest threat to children is the cell phone. This is how children are exploited, how they are violated and how these predators get access to our children,” said Lisa Smittcamp, Fresno County District Attorney.
One of the men arrested, 38-year-old Mark McGill Jr., is a U.S. Forest Service employee. He showed up to the meeting site in a department fire engine with what authorities say was the intent to have sex with an underage girl.
McGill bonded out after posting $30,000 bail. Twelve other suspects have also bonded out.
“I want to remind parents that the suspects in these cases may not fit a certain stereotype or profile that you have in mind,” Mims said.
The sheriff also said that for the 19 suspects captured in this operation, there are thousands of other sex predators out there preying on vulnerable children.
“A potential danger of being online more often is having an encounter with a sexual predator who is seeking a relationship with a child,” she said.
It’s important to be aware of what kids are doing, especially as more of them have electronic devices and access to the internet.
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