10 Men Arrested In Undercover Child Exploitation Sting In Fairfax

FAIRFAX, VA — A six-day sting targeting online predators led to the arrest of 10 men who traveled to Fairfax County under the belief they were meeting minors for sexual encounters, authorities said on Monday.

The "Operation Spring Bloom" initiative, which took place April 1-6, was conducted by the Fairfax County Police Department’s Child Exploitation Unit in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI. Detectives used various online platforms to pose as underage children to identify individuals seeking minors for criminal sexual acts.

"This scares parents, no doubt about it, but our commitment to identifying these perpetrators, these predators — and I don't use that word lightly — is something that we will continue to do to protect our children," Chief Kevin Davis said during a news conference at public safety headquarters.

The 10 suspects range in age from 21 to 64. Collectively, they face 22 criminal offenses, including 19 felony charges. While several of the men arrested are from Fairfax County, others traveled from Maryland and other areas outside the state.

Capt. Kevin White, assistant commander of the Violent Crime Division, said detectives were explicit about their age during online communications to ensure there was no misunderstanding.

Those arrested and the charges filed against them are:

1. Jose Rivas Reyes, 32, of Alexandria, was charged with two counts of solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties with a minor. He was held on no bond.
2. Steven Schoshinski, 64, of Fairfax, was charged with solicitation of a minor for prostitution and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He was held on no bond.
3. Milton Romero Hernandez, 48, of Bealeton, was charged with solicitation of a minor. He was held on no bond.
4. Ian Milbourne, 38, of Herndon, was charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He was held on no bond.
5. James Wei, 46, of Reston, was charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties. He was released on a $20,000 secured bond.
6. Mohamed Al Hashim, 33, of Maryland, was charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties. He was held on no bond.
7. Anthony Smith, 33, of Manassas, was charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He was held on no bond.
8. Marcos Justo, 21, of Stafford, was charged with two counts of solicitation of a minor and attempted contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He was held on no bond.
9. Sergio Rios Lecca, 39, of Sterling, was charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He was released on a $1,000 bond.
10. Fraz Aulakh, 31, of Maryland, was arrested and charged with two counts of solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties. He was held on no bond.

"The 10 individuals — the 10 predators you see up there — were communicating online with what they thought were underage children," White said. "They also agreed to come to the county at a location where they were subsequently arrested by a violent crime suppression unit, taken into custody and charged."

While the suspects have criminal histories, these arrests appear to be their first offenses specifically related to child exploitation, according to White. None of the men are believed to have had supervision or custody of children through their occupations at the time of their arrest.

Police are using the arrests as a catalyst to urge parents to take a more active role in supervising their children’s digital lives. Officials recommend that parents use security settings to block inappropriate platforms and maintain open dialogue about the risks of online coercion.

"Predators often use a variety of online applications and platforms to contact potential victims," the department said, emphasizing that children should be encouraged to immediately report any requests the receive for sexually explicit images.

Anyone with information about the suspects or similar incidents can contact the Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800.

For those wishing to remain anonymous, tips can be submitted through Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS or via the "P3 Tips" mobile app. Anonymous contributors may be eligible for cash rewards if their information leads to further legal action.