LEXINGTON, S.C. – Undercover investigators have arrested 20 more men as part of an operation over the past several months targeting potential sexual predators trying to contact children for sexual activity.
“These arrests bring our arrest total to 31 suspects from the operation we hosted earlier this year with the Lexington Police Department and the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said. “The intent of these suspects during these communications is clear. They wanted to persuade, entice or coerce someone they reasonably believed to be under the age of 18 to engage in sexual activity.
“Without strong relationships between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, operations like this would not be possible,” Koon said.
The following individuals were arrested and charged:
Jeffery S. Close, 52, Downsville, New York –Two counts of first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, criminal solicitation of a minor
Jarrett Carter Crapse, 21, St. Matthews, South Carolina – Unlawful dissemination of obscene material to a person under 18, criminal solicitation of a minor
James Allen Helms, 48, Fort Mill, South Carolina – Three counts of unlawful dissemination of obscene material to a person under 18
Christopher James Hendrix, 50, Moncks Corner, South Carolina – Criminal solicitation of a minor, first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor
Tony Wesley Hoover, 54, Columbia, South Carolina – Three counts of criminal solicitation of a minor, unlawful dissemination of obscene material to a person under 18
David Larson, 31, Dardanelle, Arizona – Unlawful dissemination of obscene material to a person under 18, criminal solicitation of a minor
Samuel Alan Laytham, 56, Cordova, North Carolina – Criminal solicitation of a minor, unlawful dissemination of obscene material to a person under 18
Matthew E. Lisa, 26, Kinnelon, New Jersey – First-degree sexual exploitation of a minor
Scott Richard Manzo, 40, Florence, South Carolina – Criminal solicitation of a minor, unlawful dissemination of obscene material to a person under 18
Steven Patrick Maxim, 43, Hartsville, South Carolina – Two counts of criminal solicitation of a minor, unlawful dissemination of obscene material to a person under 18, first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor
Ali Dawud Muhammad, 39, Concord, North Carolina – Criminal solicitation of a minor, three counts of unlawful dissemination of obscene material to a person under 18
Randall Joshua Norris, 40, Gaston, South Carolina – Unlawful dissemination of obscene material to a person under 18
Michael Alan Olsen, 40, Greenwood, South Carolina – Unlawful dissemination of obscene material to a person under 18, criminal solicitation of a minor
Robert Lee Ray, 22, Gainesville, Georgia – Criminal solicitation of a minor, unlawful dissemination of obscene material to a person under 18
Shawn Edward Rayburn, 46, Garner, North Carolina – Promoting the prostitution of a minor, second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor
Thomas Allan Rike, 39, Tarpon Springs, Florida – Four counts of unlawful dissemination of obscene material to a person under 18, criminal solicitation of a minor
Kadeem Latron Riley, 32, St. Matthews, South Carolina – Criminal solicitation of a minor, unlawful dissemination of obscene material to a person under 18
Michael Wesley Thomas, 33, Moore, South Carolina – Two counts of first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, criminal solicitation of a minor, unlawful dissemination of obscene material to a person under 18
Alexander Louis Toth, 29, Greene, Maine – Unlawful dissemination of obscene material to a person under 18, criminal solicitation of a minor
Tevin Richard Trego, 29, Oak Harbor Washington – Criminal solicitation of a minor, second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, unlawful dissemination of obscene material to a person under 18.
No children were ever used or placed in danger during the operation, according to Koon.