26 Eastern Wash. Men Arrested In Child Sex Abuse Sting

RICHLAND, WA - Washington State Patrol on Monday announced that officers working on a task force investigating child sexual abuse had recently arrested 26 men on suspicion of crimes ranging from child rape to possession of child pornography.

The Operation Net Nanny sting was organized by the state police Missing and Exploited Children Task Force. Officers working on the task force used the internet to communicate with men interested in exploiting children. The men were arrested when they went to meet the undercover officers in person.

Of the 26 men arrested, five had access to children "at risk of being abused," state police reported. The men arrested in the sting were mostly from the Tri-Cities area including Richland, Pasco, and Kennewick; others arrested include men from Pendleton, Ore.; Yakima; West Richland; and Tieton.

The men were arrested on crimes including: attempted first or second-degree child rape; distribution to persons under age of eighteen; commercial sexual abuse of a minor; possession of depictions of minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct; dealing in depictions of minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct; and communication with a minor for immoral purposes.

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