Detectives from the Child Exploitation Unit (CEXU) of Fairfax County have completed an operation targeting online predators, resulting in 16 arrests across North America. The suspects were seeking criminal encounters with minors.
The operation focused on individuals using online platforms to engage in inappropriate conversations with people they believed to be underage. These suspects arrived or planned to arrive in Fairfax County with intentions of committing sexual acts with minors but were instead met by detectives from CEXU and the Violent Crimes Suppression Unit. The arrested men, aged between 20 and 65, face a total of 82 felony charges.
Those arrested include Joel Dario Santamaria Jara, Michael Forsht, Alexander William Coughlin, Tranh Duy Nguyen, Refujio Deleon, Nery Elisio Gonzalez Ordonez, Watcharapong Sapsittikul, Allan Blake Willoughby, Dennis Joseph Furey Jr., Simon Roberts, Tommy Varesh from Canada, Bacem Megdiche from Maryland, Benjamin Scott Heyman from Herndon, Nelson Ivan Perez-Villegas from Maryland, Mario Alexander Bonilla from Manassas, and Saboor Anwari from Fredericksburg. Charges vary among solicitation of a minor and production of child pornography.
Parents are advised to monitor their children’s online activities closely and utilize available security settings to prevent access to inappropriate sites. They should encourage children to report any suspicious behavior or attempts at coercion for explicit images. More internet safety information is available through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Anyone with information related to these incidents is urged to contact the Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800 or submit tips anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone or web. Anonymous tipsters may receive cash rewards.
For more details on Chief Davis’ press conference and ongoing updates about this case or other matters involving the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD), residents can follow them on social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram under @FairfaxCountyPD.
