Fairfax County, VA – The Fairfax County Police Department's Major Crimes Bureau's Child Exploitation Unit (CEXU) arrested nine men in a proactive enforcement operation targeting individuals seeking to engage in criminal encounters with minors. The majority of those arrested had traveled to Fairfax County with this intent.
During the "Caught in the Chat" online operation, detectives posed as juveniles on internet platforms to identify and engage individuals initiating sexually explicit conversations with children. Offenders, believing they were meeting a minor in Fairfax County for a sexual encounter, were instead met by detectives from the Violent Crimes Suppression Unit (VCS) and CEXU.
The arrested men, aged 21 to 48, collectively face 20 criminal charges, including Solicitation of a Minor, Procuring a Minor for Prostitution, and Attempted Indecent Liberties with a Minor. Among those charged are Jonathan William Carter, Ammar Ezzulddin Alhafidh, Carlos Navarrete Campos, Favio Daniel Sejas Escobar, Henry Flores Herrera, Joshua Paul Blochowicz, Rashad Taheem Norris, Reyben Sanchez Hernandez, and Wilmer Aguilar Cruz, from various locations including Statesville, NC, Ashburn, Manassas, Springfield, Alexandria, Stafford, Woodbridge, and Reston.
The Police Department encourages parents to closely monitor their children's online activity, utilize security settings, and maintain open conversations about online risks. Children should be urged to report inappropriate conversations or attempts to coerce them into providing sexually explicit images. Additional internet safety resources are available from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Detectives are asking anyone with information related to these incidents or similar cases to contact the Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 6. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477) or via their website, with eligible cash rewards for tipsters.