Special victims detectives from Chesterfield County, Virginia, arrested 20 suspects who they believed were soliciting sex from minors via social media and the internet.
Detectives worked to identify the suspects who they believed to be seeking the sex from minors before arresting the 20 suspects and charging them with 45 counts, including felony prostitution solicitation and use of a vehicle to promote prostitution; weapons charges; and drug possession and distribution charges.
“The suspects communicated with people they believed to be underage members of our community and arranged to meet them at a location to have sexual relations,” Chesterfield Police said in a release.
Once the suspects arrived at the designated location, the police met them, and they were arrested.
The 20 suspects ranged from ages 19 to early 50s.
A similar sting operation was conducted last year in Virginia, where 30 men were arrested for allegedly soliciting minors for sex online.
The sting, called “Operation COVID Crackdown,” took place in the middle of stay-at-home orders during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, where more kids were online and staying at home.
