Indiana child sex sting nets 20 arrests

JOHNSON COUNTY, Ind. — Twenty men are facing a host of solicitation and related charges after a three-day child sex sting in Indiana.

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The joint operation, conducted Nov. 1-3 by the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department and the Franklin Police Department, involved detectives snaring child predators by posing as underage children online and agreeing to meetups, WXIN-TV reported.

“The conversations that are had prior to the suspects arriving at the target location are very troubling,” the departments wrote in a joint news release, adding, “The requests that are made to the investigators posing as underage children are also very troubling and disturbing.”

Johnson County Sheriff Duane Burgess told WTHR that the men, some of whom traveled “great distances,” brought different items to the meetups, including alcoholic beverages, narcotics and firearms. Several, he said, tried to coerce a minor to leave with them.

“We will never know the true extent or impact these investigations have on the safety of our children,” the joint statement read, adding, “Knowingly meeting with a minor and wanting to take that minor away from their home (and) travel miles away scares all of us.”

According to WXIN, last week’s sting marked the fourth child sex operation conducted by the two departments during the past two years, resulting in a combined 49 arrests.

The men arrested in the latest sting are listed below along with their charges:

• Mark A. Adams, 59, of Cross Plains, Indiana: child solicitation and misdemeanor counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and making an unlawful proposition.
• Jeffery D. Alford, 26, of Greenwood, Indiana: child solicitation and misdemeanor counts of possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia.
• Ryan A. Browning, 34, of Harts, West Virginia: child solicitation and possession of child pornography.
• Philip M. Buhrke, 26, of Indianapolis: child solicitation and dissemination of harmful matter to a minor.
• Brallan Campos-Acevedo, 22, of Indianapolis: child solicitation and misdemeanor making unlawful proposition.
• Samuel Ernestro Severino Cabrera, 24, of Indianapolis: child solicitation and misdemeanor making an unlawful proposition.
• Jonathan T. Evans, 36, of Pisgah, Alabama: child solicitation, possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver and misdemeanor counts of possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia.
• Calvin M. Farris, 37, of Richland, Indiana: child solicitation and dissemination of harmful matter to a minor.
• Jeffrey A. Hance, 64, of Mooresville, Indiana: child solicitation, resisting law enforcement/using a vehicle and misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief and prostitution.
• Zacariah R. Hart, 43, of Indianapolis: child solicitation and possession of a syringe.
• Nicholas T. Hubbard, 23, of Indianapolis: child solicitation.
• Eric N. Johnson, 38, of Noblesville, Indiana: child solicitation and dissemination of harmful matter to a minor.
• Thiang Za Lian, 21, of Indianapolis: child solicitation and misdemeanor making an unlawful proposition.
• James T. Miller, 28, of Indianapolis: child solicitation.
• Max J. Miller, 25, of Indianapolis: child solicitation.
• Jonathan D. Morales, 31, of Indianapolis: child solicitation and misdemeanor driving while suspended with a prior.
• Jered S. Morgan, 22, of Monrovia, Indiana: child solicitation.
• Helly C. Sang, 21, of Indianapolis: child solicitation.
• Za Thio, 36, of Indianapolis: child solicitation and misdemeanor making an unlawful proposition.
• Christopher G. Wilson, 37, of Columbus, Indiana: child solicitation.

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