#parent | #kids | #minorsextrafficking | Pamplin Media Group – Madras man arrested in sex trafficking sting


Bend police targets four-month investigation on people seeking sex with minors

Eduardo Vega-Ruiz, 22, of Madras was one of 20 adults Bend police arrested for seeking sex with underage children.

Over several months, Bend Police conducted a project dedicated to combating human trafficking, sex work and luring of minors, with an emphasis on identifying and arresting people who are attempting to meet underage children for sex.

Vega-Ruiz faces charges of online sexual corruption of a child, patronizing a prostitute, attempted sodomy, purchasing sex with a minor, attempted rape, escape, felony attempt to elude, attempted assault on a public safety officer and reckless driving.

Bend Police officers posted ads online, then posed as minors in both text and phone conversations. Over the course of the project, people at more than

200 distinct phone numbers answered officers’ ads. Many of those people, upon learning they were apparently communicating with a minor, immediately cut off communication. However, of the 200-plus people who answered Bend Police’s online ads and learned of a minor child being trafficked for sex, not one subsequently shared that information with law enforcement.

Police clearly identified themselves as underage. Those arrested then agreed to meet, sometimes bringing drugs and alcohol to the agreed-upon location. Upon arrival, they were taken into custody on the above charges and lodged at the Deschutes County Jail.


During the course of the project, multiple people came forward and identified themselves as victims of sexual abuse at the hands of these suspects. Bend Police are asking the public to contact nonemergency dispatch at 541-693-6911 if you or someone you know is the victim of any of these suspects.

Of those arrested, 10 were from Bend, five from Redmond, and one each from LaPine, Sisters, Prineville and Oxnard, California.

Bend Police want our community to know we are proactively investigating these crimes. We will continue to conduct projects like this in the future. This outreach will also let potential predators know our community is vigilant. Our goal is to identify traffickers and prevent this activity from taking place in our community. During the operation, Bend Police saw a significant decrease for demand in sex work in our community, and by extension, a decrease in sex workers operating in our community.

Bend Police would also like to remind parents, guardians and caregivers to stay involved in their children’s digital world, know the apps they are using and implement parental controls when possible. Children should talk with a trusted adult so they understand online risks, only chat with people they know, and make sure their online accounts are private. There are people who target vulnerable youth via online apps and other internet sources, and we have to work together to keep our children safe. 

During the course of this investigation, Bend Police also arrested eight people who attempted to patronize adult sex workers. They were cited and released. Patronizing a prostitute is a Class A misdemeanor. 

This information provided by the Bend Police.


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