Police in Blaine say they arrested and charged 22 people who attempted to pay for sex with children during a two-day “juvenile suppression operation” earlier this month.
Officers posing as an underage girl communicated through text messages with more than 460 individuals, and 22 people traveled to a designated meeting spot with the intention of paying to have sex with a juvenile, said Blaine Deputy Chief Joe Gehard.
Upon arrival, each of the 22 were arrested and charged with solicitation of a child to engage in sexual conduct, a felony. The suspects were booked into jail and later released with a future court date.
“This operation demonstrates our unwavering commitment to protecting children from exploitation,” Gerhard said, “We are grateful for the collaboration of our partner agencies, whose teamwork was essential to the success of this effort.”
The sting was carried out Sept. 3-4 in the vicinity of Lexington Avenue and Main Street.
Other participating agencies included the Fridley, Bloomington and Coon Rapids police departments, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, U.S. Secret Service, Anoka County Central Communications, the Anoka-Hennepin Narcotics and Violent Crimes Task Force, and the Anoka County Attorney’s Office.
