AURORA | A child-sex assault sting operation headed by Aurora police netted 13 arrests of men from across the metro area, all accused of attempting to pay juveniles for sex, Aurora police announced Tuesday.
Among those arrested during the month-long operation, dubbed Operation SAFE Kids, two of the men are registered sex offenders, one man was 65 and another was 21, police said.
“Several suspects traveled from communities across the Denver metro area and many arrived with the exact amount of cash discussed for sexual services, despite being told they were communicating with someone underage,” said Investigations Bureau Cmdr. Marc Paolino. “Their actions, including the time and effort they took to arrange and pursue these encounters, demonstrate the seriousness of their intent.”
The men replied to online websites police and other authorities say were targeted because of suspected juvenile sexual trafficking behavior.
“When the operation began in mid-August, detectives used undercover, minor-aged personas to engage with suspects online,” Aurora police spokesperson Joe Moylan said in a statement. “Among the 13 suspects arrested, two were already registered sex offenders, seven brought sexual devices, one brought ketamine, another brought vodka and one brought a firearm.”
Police said four of the suspects disengaged with the police sting personas after finding out they were underage, but they re-engaged later, still knowing they were agreeing to meet for paid sex with a minor, Moylan said.
Police said the Stopping Adults From Exploiting Kids operation was inspired, in part, by a change in state law this year increasing penalites for internet sexual trafficking involving minors. The change in law raised the felony crime from a Class 3 felony to a Class 5 felony and imposed a sentencing miniumum of 4-12 years, police said.
“In today’s online world, offenders who seek to sexually exploit children can do so behind closed doors and out of public view, which is why proactive police work is so important in exposing these crimes,” said Lt. Seth Robertson, who leads Aurora Police Department’s Special Victims Section. “The people we encountered during this operation knew exactly what they were doing; some arrived with sexual devices, drugs or alcohol they intended to provide to or use with someone they believed to be a minor.”
Other agencies involved in the sting include the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, FBI and Homeland Security Investigations.
The 13 suspects arrested include:
• Jeffrey Lutsk, 65, of Aurora, was arrested July 17 and faces charges of internet luring of a child, internet sexual exploitation of a child and attempted sexual assault of a child. He is in custody on $50,000 bond at the Arapahoe County Jail.
• Frank Herman, 21, of Arvada, was arrested Aug. 20 and faces charges of attempted sexual assault of a child, internet luring of a child, sexual exploitation of children, patronizing a prostituted child and solicitation of child prostitution. He was released in lieu of $25,000 bond.
• Kristopher Dominguez, 29, of Denver, was arrested Aug. 20 and faces charges of attempted sexual assault of a child, internet luring of a child, sexual exploitation of children, patronizing a prostituted child and solicitation of child prostitution. He was released in lieu of $50,000 bond.
• Thomas Wohlman, 58, of Denver, was arrested Aug. 27 and faces charges of habitual sexual offender of a child, attempted engaging in commercial sexual activity with a child and solicitation of child prostitution. He was released in lieu of $75,000 bond.
• Jonathan Kranich, 41, of Centennial, was arrested Aug. 27 and faces charges of attempted sexual assault of a child, internet luring of a child, patronizing a prostituted child and soliciting for commercial sexual activity with a child. He was released in lieu ofn $75,000 bond.
• Jesus Cedillo, 45, of Aurora, was arrested Aug. 27 and faces charges of soliciting for commercial sexual activity with a child, patronizing a prostituted child and attempted engaging in commercial sexual activity with a child. He is in custody in lieu of $25,000 bond at the Arapahoe County Jail.
• Samuel Wahlgren, 32, of Denver, was arrested Aug. 27 and faces charges of attempted engaging in commercial sexual activity with a child, patronizing a prostituted child and solicitation of child prostitution. He was released in lieu of $30,000 bond.
• Danny Davis, 62, was arrested Aug. 28 and faces charges of internet luring of a child, soliciting for commercial sexual activity with a child and attempted engaging in commercial sexual activity with a child. He was released in lieu of $25,000 bond.
• Devar Lewis, 27, of Aurora, was arrested Aug. 28 and faces charges of internet luring of a child, patronizing a prostituted child and attempted solicitation for commercial sexual activity with a child. He is in custody in lieu of $50,000 bond in the Arapahoe County Jail.
• Joshua Tarver, 36, was arrested Aug. 28 and faces charges of patronizing a prostituted child and attempted solicitation for commercial sexual activity with a child. He was released in lieu of $25,000 bond.
• Hikmat Hikmat, 23, of Castle Pines, was arrested Aug. 28 and faces charges of attempted sexual assault of a child, patronizing a prostituted child and solicitation for commercial sexual activity with a child. He was released in lieu of $25,000 bond.
• Robert Titus, 37, of Aurora, was arrested Aug. 29 and faces charges of internet luring of a child, attempted sexual assault of a child and internet sexual exploitation of a child. He is in custody in lieu of $75,000 bond at the Arapahoe County Jail.
• Fermin Rivera-Garcia, 33, was arrested Aug. 29 and faces charges of solicitation for commercial sexual activity with a child and patronizing a prostituted child. He was released in lieu of $25,000 bond.
How can their names and photos be published unless convicted?