16 suspects arrested in Chesterfield online sex sting

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WWBT) - The Chesterfield Police Department says 16 people face 31 charges after a recent online chatting operation.

Between March 31 and April 28, Chesterfield County Police special victims detectives “intercepted suspects who believed they were soliciting sex from minors through online and social media platforms,” the police department said in a news release.

The suspects - 15 of them from Virginia and one from Georgia - arranged to meet them at a location to have a sexual encounter.

“When the suspects came to the location, they were met by police and arrested,” police said.

The following suspects were arrested and charged:

• Keith P. Boyd, 47, of Ruther Glen, was arrested on April 28 and charged with attempted solicitation of prostitution with a minor and use of a vehicle to promote prostitution.
• James C. Brooks, 28, of Charlottesville, was arrested on March 31 and charged with solicitation of prostitution with a minor and use of a vehicle to promote prostitution.
• Edward Gerald, 27, of Columbia, was arrested on April 28 and charged with attempted solicitation of prostitution with a minor and use of a vehicle to promote prostitution.
• Tyreece M. Huff, 24, of Freeman, was arrested on April 28 and charged with attempted solicitation of prostitution with a minor and use of a vehicle to promote prostitution.
• Rory Jenkins, 65, of Henrico, was arrested on April 28 and charged with attempted solicitation of prostitution with a minor and use of a vehicle to promote prostitution.
• Lorenzo C. Johnson, 52, of Richmond, was arrested on April 28 and charged with attempted solicitation of prostitution with a minor and use of a vehicle to promote prostitution.
• Christopher Kirby, 31, of Ruther Glen, was arrested on April 28 and charged with attempted solicitation of prostitution with a minor.
• Javier Orosco-Gonzalez, 25, of Henrico, was arrested on April 28 and charged with attempted solicitation of prostitution with a minor and use of a vehicle to promote prostitution.
• Cody M. Osmun, 30, of Fort Lee, was arrested on March 31 and charged with solicitation of prostitution with a minor and use of a vehicle to promote prostitution.
• Deepak K. Patel, 41, of Chesterfield, was arrested on April 28 and charged with attempted solicitation of prostitution with a minor and use of a vehicle to promote prostitution
• Denis Rahmanovic, 18, of Chesterfield, was arrested on April 28 and charged with attempted solicitation of prostitution with a minor and use of a vehicle to promote prostitution.
• Erkan Sanli, 42, of Chesterfield, was arrested on April 28 and charged with attempted solicitation of prostitution with a minor and use of a vehicle to promote prostitution.
• Robert W. Warden Sr., 78, of Chesterfield, was arrested on April 28 and charged with attempted solicitation of prostitution with a minor and use of a vehicle to promote prostitution.
• Justin R. Webb, 26, of Chesterfield, was arrested on April 28 and charged with attempted solicitation of prostitution with a minor and use of a vehicle to promote prostitution.
• Robert E. Whitfield Jr., 50, of Goochland, was arrested on March 31 and charged with solicitation of prostitution with a minor and use of a vehicle to promote prostitution.
• Mack Williams, 28, of Albany, Ga., was arrested on April 28 and charged with attempted solicitation of prostitution with a minor and use of a vehicle to promote prostitution.

The suspects could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Chesterfield Police sending an urgent message to parents to be aware of what’s happening on their child’s social media.

“Check out their phone. See who they are communicating with because the child is communicating with someone online they have no idea who it is they are talking to on the other end, and you don’t know what exactly their intention is,” Maj. Mike Louth, with the Chesterfield Police Department, said.

Louth said there are even more predators out there they were chatting with who didn’t show up at the meeting location.

Emily Mulder with the Family Online Safety Institute said real-life scenarios like these can be prevented by asking questions.

“You can ask the child who they’re talking to. If they seem to have new friends, you can ask them if they are people they know in person,” Mulder said.

Mulder said it’s not just social media platforms to be wary of. She said some gaming sites could have chat rooms.

Something else to look out for is certain changes in behavior.

“It can be hard because teenagers naturally have a certain degree of secrecy, but I think a more negative behavior - more anxiety, more isolation, you know, potentially things like that,” Mulder said.

Police and advocates are urging parents to be more involved. The Family Online Safety Institute encourages parents should ask questions and talk more about online safety.

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