Eight suspected child sexual predators were arrested in New Mexico following a multi-agency operation led by the New Mexico Department of Justice. All suspects were charged with crimes, including child solicitation via electronic devices and attempted criminal sexual penetration.
"Various agents established decoy accounts on a number of different non-traditional digital platforms," said Attorney General Raúl Torrez during a Monday news conference when describing their modus operandi. "As a result, they were able to initiate contact with several suspects."
According to Torrez, some undercover agents pretended to be minors, while others posed as parents offering their children for sexual intercourse. Each defendant had sought to engage in sexual activity with a minor.
The detainees were identified as follows:
- Rafael Eduardo Rosas
- Jonathan M. Rodriguez
- Samantha G. Clark
- Stephen A. Rhea
- Jonmichael Seagroves
- Stephen Charles Phillips
- Mahmoud Telfah
- Matthew Ray Jaramillo
A warrant is pending against Stephen Joseph Rittereiser on a charge of solicitation by electronic communication device of a child between 13 and 16 years old.
Stephen Charles Phillips, a middle school teacher in Albuquerque, allegedly used a FetLife account to request photos of a 12-year-old girl. He was arrested while allegedly attempting to meet an undercover agent posing as an underage girl.
Mahmoud Telfah, a graduate student at the University of New Mexico, made online contact with an agent pretending to be a 15-year-old girl. Telfah allegedly requested confirmation of the girl's age and expressed interest in paying her for sexual acts.
Matthew Ray Jaramillo also made contact with an agent posing as a 15-year-old girl. He discussed his interest in "impregnating" her and was arrested at a location where he planned to meet who he thought was a child.
"This enforcement action has effectively removed harmful child predators from our communities, sending a powerful message to those seeking to harm children for their satisfaction. Undoubtedly, it has spared some children from the anguish of being sexually victimized," said Jason T. Stevens, acting special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in El Paso.
According to HSI, the number of child exploitation crimes has increased exponentially over the past ten years.
"In 2014, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received more than one million reports for the first time. Since then, the numbers have risen to over 36 million in 2023," said Stevens.
Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen also expressed concern about the rise of child sexual exploitation. "Constituents write to me on a daily basis, you would be surprised by the number of child exploitation reports I receive" he said. "These cases are sickening."
HSI cited the increased use of technology among minors as a contributing factor to the rise in child exploitation crimes, noting that it has created a space for "predators to flourish." Authorities urged parents to monitor their children's online activities to the fullest extent possible.
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