11 men allegedy seeking to sexually exploit children arrested in multi-agency East Bay sting operation
Nearly a dozen men were arrested in a multi-agency sting operation targeting adults who use the internet to seek out children to sexually exploit and abuse, authorities said Monday.
The Oakley Police Department said it hosted an operation from May 24 to May 31 that involved identifying and arresting adults who sought inappropriate and sexually-based online relationships with who they believed were minor children.
Officers arrested 11 men who physically attempted to meet with their intended targets at a predesignated location, police said. Some of those arrested brought candy as well as condoms; among those arrested were a Boy Scout troop master and a known behavioral therapist for children with special needs, police said.
The 11 suspects were all booked into jail on felony charges.
An Oakley police detective coordinated the operation with support from other Oakley PD personnel, police said; the group worked with the national Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force along with the following agencies:
- Antioch Police Department
- Brentwood Police Department
- Concord Police Department
- Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office
- Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office
- Contra Costa County Safe Streets Task Force
- Danville Police Department
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Homeland Security Investigations
- Pittsburg Police Department
- United States Secret Service
- Walnut Creek Police Department
The 11 suspects arrested were identified as:
- Isaias Valdez, 30, Pittsburg
- Jason Pearson, 48, Concord
- Jonathan Henriquez-Garcia, 32, Antioch
- Anthony Taormina, 64, Oakley
- Daniel Sigmundson, 51, Concord
- Ashneel Singh, 29, Hayward
- Humayoun Kabir, 60, Antioch
- Zuhair Mukatash, 59, South San Francisco
- Luis Cuevas-Morales, 25, Hayward
- Yerson Cruz-Perez, 27, Pittsburg
- Elio Rodriguez-Martinez, 29, Oakland
"I thoroughly appreciate all of the efforts and diligence exhibited by all of the law-enforcement personnel, Deputy District Attorneys, and support staff members that resulted in the arrests of these very dangerous men," said Oakley Police Chief Paul Beard in a prepared statement. "In a very literal sense, the innocence of children was saved by the efforts that went into this operation. Knowing some of the back stories that went into these arrests, I have a very visceral feeling of disgust about the men who were arrested. I believe I speak for everybody involved in what happened when I say I fully support the prosecutors as they manage the criminal filings and cases against these men while they seek complete accountability against them."