Being charged with any type of sex crime can be frightening for most individuals,
particularly when alleged victims are children. A large group of men were
recently arrested and charged with
sex crimes after an operation that targeted sexual predators. The arrests were the
result of a sting operation launched by Maryland authorities that lasted
for a year.
Police say that sections on Craigslist and other websites were monitored,
and they discovered individuals who were looking for sexual partners.
Authorities had conversations with the men for a certain period of time
and even portrayed themselves as being young boys and girls. Eventually,
authorities discovered that some of the individuals were in possession
of child pornography.
One of those facing charges, a 70-year-old man, was arrested when he was
allegedly caught posting an ad on Craigslist for young girls and then
proceeded to a meeting with whom he thought was a 13-year-old girl, but
who turned out to be a police officer. A 35-year-old man was arrested
after he allegedly exchanged text messages with an officer whom he thought
was a 12-year-old girl. He was apparently planning on having sexual activity
with the girl and offered to pay her.
These charges for sex crimes are undoubtedly serious. If convicted, the
men could spend a substantial amount of time in prison. However, prosecutors
will need to prove that the men were actively seeking sexual relations
with underage children for convictions to occur. The men have the right
to defend themselves against any allegations brought against them and
testify on their own behalves. They are all presumed innocent until proved
guilty in a Maryland criminal courtroom.
Source: USA Today, "Sex-predator sting operation nabs 18 men in Maryland", Brian Shane, Jan. 23, 2015