Three JBLM active military members arrested in sexual predator sting
Feb 21, 2019, 5:19 PM | Updated: 5:26 pm
(AP)
(AP)
Washington State Patrol arrested 22 accused “dangerous sexual predators” in a recent Thurston County sting operation, three of whom are active military members based out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
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Dubbed “Operation Net Nanny,” the operation was one in a series of 15, that have arrested 246 alleged sexual predators, and rescued over 30 children across Washington state.
“This operation is aimed at protecting our vulnerable children and making communities safer,” said Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste in a Thursday news release.
Between Feb. 15-20, undercover officers contacted hundreds of suspects online, almost two-dozen of whom traveled to meet those detectives, thinking they were underage girls or boys as young as six years old.
State Patrol works with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service on stings like this, who will then contact authorities at JBLM.
The military generally conducts its own separate investigation, and could impose additional charges on the three military members arrested. All three men arrested are stationed at JBLM with the U.S. Army.
In addition to state patrol, the sting was executed by a collaborative task force of over 70 law enforcement staff members, agents, and officers from the FBI, Homeland Security, a collection of local police departments, the Washington State Attorney General’s office, and more.
Additional reporting from KIRO Radio News Staff
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