Multiple men arrested in Fresno and Tulare counties following inter-agency operation
PASO ROBLES, Calif. – The Paso Robles Police Department and the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office participated in a multi-jurisdictional operation managed by Fresno County Sheriff's Office which resulted in the arrest of 14 men who attempted to meet with a child online for sex.
The 14 men range in age from 21 to 58 and a majority have since posted bond, been assigned a court day, and released from custody detail Fresno County Sheriff's Office.
Operation Boogeyman, the name of the inter-agency effort, was conducted from Oct. 18 to Oct. 20 of this year and included contributions from the following law enforcement agencies:
Central California Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force
-Fresno County Sheriff’s Office
-Fresno Police Department
-Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC)
-Fresno County Probation Adult Compliance Team (ACT)
-Fresno County District Attorney’s Office
-U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California
-California Department of Justice
-California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation
-Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)
-Paso Robles Police Department
-Sanger Police Department
-Visalia Police Department
-Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office
-Madera County District Attorney’s Office
-San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Office
According to Fresno County Sheriff's Office, Operation Boogeyman included law enforcement personnel posing as underage children online.
All of the arrested men were first to express sexual interest and initiated a meeting time with law enforcement posing as children detail Fresno County Sheriff's Office.
Fresno County Sheriff's Office confirmed that a detective with San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office participated in the operation and that Paso Robles Police Department personnel played a notable role in the investigation including in the online chat portion.
The men were arrested by law enforcement when they arrived at the meeting place and no actual children were ever used or placed in danger during the operation detail Fresno County Sheriff's Office.
Operation Boogeyman remains an ongoing investigation and more arrests may be made explain Fresno County Sheriff's Office and the possibility exists that the men already arrested may have victimized others.
If you or someone you know has more information, they can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's tipline here or you can contact the Fresno County Sheriff's Office at 559-600-3111.
