Internet Child Sex Sting Nabs 11 In Northern Virginia: Police ICYMI

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — Eleven men were caught in a sting operation this month that targeted internet predators attempting to solicit sexual contact with minors, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office, which worked in conjunction with Fairfax County Police, the FBI Washington Field Office Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, and the Northern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

The sting was dubbed "Operation Safe Summer." As part of ongoing online investigations on suspects identified through proactive operations, the people arrested resided in or planned to travel to Loudoun County. They were tagged as seeking to engage in criminal sexual activity with a person they believed to be a juvenile. (For more local news, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts. Also, like us on Facebook, and if you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Arrested during the operation were:

•Hatim Abdelrahman, 22, of Reston, for communication with a minor under the age of 15 for the purpose of sexual contact and attempted indecent liberties. Abdelrahman was taken into custody by the Fairfax County Police Department.

•Arthur L. Berrier, 62, of Ashburn, for two counts of communication with a minor under the age of 15 for the purpose of sexual contact and attempted indecent liberties. Berrier was taken into custody by the Fairfax County Police Department.

•Ian M. Florance, 34, of Falls Church, for communication with a minor under the age of 15 for the purpose of sexual contact and attempted indecent liberties. Florance remains held on no bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center.

•Jack D. Guard Jr., 54, of Ashburn, for two counts of communication with a minor under the age of 15 for the purpose of sexual contact. Guard was released from the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on a $25,000 bond.

•Jeremy M. Hawkins, 26, of Point of Rocks, Maryland, for two counts of communication with a minor under the age of 15 for the purpose of sexual contact. Hawkins was released on a $5,000 secured bond from the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center.

•Rajender Mahavadi, 36, of Sterling, for two counts of communication with a minor under the age of 15 for the purpose of sexual contact. Mahavadi is currently being held on no bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center.

•Bhanu C. Muddam, 28, of McLean, for three counts of communication with a minor under the age of 15 for the purpose of sexual contact. Muddam is currently being held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on no bond.

•Anishkumar Patel, 44, of Fairfax, for communication with a minor under the age of 15 for the purpose of sexual contact and attempted indecent liberties. Patel was taken into custody by the Fairfax County Police Department.

•Nathaniel C. Sams, 33, of Sterling, for communication with a minor under the age of 15 for the purpose of sexual contact and attempted indecent liberties. Sams remains held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on no bond.

•Avinash S. Thakoorie, 24, of Chantilly, for communication with a minor under the age of 15 for the purpose of sexual contact and two counts of attempted indecent liberties. Thakoorie was taken into custody by the Fairfax County Police Department.

•James A. Zientek, 46, of Centreville, for one count of communication with a minor under the age of 15 for the purpose of sexual contact. Zientek is currently held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on no bond.

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