SAN FRANCISCO - Five men were on Wednesday charged with multiple felonies in connection to an undercover sting operation conducted by the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office.
Court documents show that on July 29 and 30, undercover officers from the SFSO and local Bay Area counties, as well as officers from out of state, participated in an Internet Crimes Against Children Undercover Chat Operation. The officers aimed to identify adults using the internet to exploit and meet with children for sexual purposes.
Each of the five men separately messaged undercover officers and engaged in graphic, sexual language, and indicated their intent to engage sexually with the children being portrayed by the officers. Each man requested to meet in person, at which point officers provided the address of a location in San Francisco. Upon arriving, they were arrested by Sheriff’s deputies.
What they're saying:
"Our deputies and officers posed as underage children or as adults with young children in order to identify individuals seeking to exploit minors online. As a result of these efforts, we made seven arrests," Paul Miyamoto of the San Francisco Sheriff's Office said.
Miyamoto said the work can be disturbing for the officers who engage with the suspects, especially when they have children at home.
"These investigations are among the most difficult for our officers and deputies to undertake. Many of the men and women who participated are parents themselves, spending days immersed in conversations involving the exploitation of children, which takes an emotional toll," Miyamoto said.
Local perspective:
The suspects in the case were arrested on misdemeanor charges — setting a meeting to exploit children — and felony charges for actually showing up.
The arrested individuals are:
- Jorge Nieto, 27, of San Francisco. Nieto was arraigned on July 31 and pleaded not guilty. He is charged with two felony counts of meeting a minor for lewd purposes, and two misdemeanor counts of arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purposes. He is currently being held in custody.
- Michael Pauter, 43, of San Mateo. Pauter was arraigned on July 31 and pleaded not guilty. He is charged with two felony counts of meeting a minor for lewd purposes, and two misdemeanor counts of arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purposes. He is currently being held in custody.
- Johnny Rodriguez Diaz, 37, of Redwood City. Rodriguez Diaz was arraigned on Aug. 3. He is charged with one misdemeanor count of arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purposes.
- Romauld Santiago, 32, of Daly City. Santiago was arraigned on Aug. 3 and pleaded not guilty. He is charged with two felony counts of meeting a minor for lewd purposes, and two misdemeanor counts of arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purposes. He is currently being held in custody.
- Reuben Teague, 50, of San Francisco. Teague was arraigned on Aug. 3 and pleaded not guilty. He is charged with two felony counts of meeting a minor for lewd purposes, and two misdemeanor counts of arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purposes, as well as one misdemeanor count of resisting, obstructing, or delaying a peace officer or EMT. He is currently being held in custody.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said the suspects are from all walks of life, which shows the importance of making sure parents are monitoring their childrens' online activity.
The Source: San Francisco District Attorney's Office