HILLSBORO, Ore. — Detectives with the Washington County Sheriff's Office arrested six men this week in a sting operation targeting alleged child predators using online platforms. Two of the men worked in close proximity to children.
Investigators used multiple dating apps, social media and other online platforms to pose as underage boys and girls. Detectives said multiple people ended their conversations when they learned the person they were talking to clearly identified as a minor. According to WCSO, the six men each contacted these fake profiles and offered to meet for sex with someone "they believed to be a child."
When the men showed up to meet, they were instead confronted by law enforcement and arrested.
"We say we're underage, and we give them a specific age and then they end the chat or say that, you know, that's not OK and walk away, which is great. I'd love to do a mission where we don't arrest anybody because every single person doesn't show up," said Detective Mark Povolny. "Unfortunately, that's never happened for us."
WCSO identified the six men as 29-year-old Sean Baba of Portland, 26-year-old Henry Banegas Interiano of Portland, 19-year-old Ethan Caddy of Vancouver, 26-year-old Te'Vari Jenkins of Gresham, 21-year-old Sincere Peoples of Beaverton and 27-year-old Jackson T. West of Portland.
Of the six men, Baba and Jenkins reportedly worked in positions that would put them in contact with children.
Baba was director of music ministry at St. Pius X Church and School in the Cedar Mill community. WCSO said that the church was notified of his arrest and has fully cooperated with the investigation. Jenkins was working as director of child development programs for the Club K after-school program in Wilsonville.
Detectives are concerned that there may be actual underage victims for some of the six people they took into custody. Anyone with more information is asked to contact the sheriff's office at 503-846-2700.
"We know from doing this work that every time we've done these missions and put out the photos to the public, every single mission we've had tips come back in and this that includes this mission," said Povolny. "We've already had tips today about concerning behavior."
WCSO said that it receives thousands of child abuse reports each year. These periodic undercover operations are intended to catch child predators before they are able to victimize someone, according to the agency.