Twenty-five suspected child predators, including one man who is on an ICE detainer, were arrested after a three-day sting in Texas when they traveled to locations expecting to have sex with a child.
The sting operation targeted adults in Harris County, Texas, who used the internet and social media to solicit minors, according to Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office.
Several of the persons were armed when they arrived to meet the minors for sex. One man even showed up with his two-year-old son.
The 25 arrested were all males. One of those arrested was Pablo Benitez, who is on an ICE detainer.
The men had online names that included “Bear Hug”, “Sammy the Saint,” and “Somefun4unme.”
“This effort demonstrates the strength and effectiveness of law enforcement when it works together to crack down on child predators,” said Paxton in a prepared statement.
“I commend everyone involved in the operation who helped identify and capture the predators before they could victimize children in Texas or elsewhere,” Paxton said.