Eleven men, including a former Alabama state trooper, are facing child sex charges after a two-day undercover operation.
Ryan Christian Rhodes, 26, of Tallassee, is charged with electronic solicitation of a child, traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sex act and resisting arrest, reports from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office show. Rhodes is a former Alabama state trooper, said Wesley Richerson, assistant chief deputy of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. Rhodes, who was a senior state trooper, resigned after his arrest on the charges, said Lt. Jeremy Burkett, a spokesman for the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said.
The arrests came after the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the Montgomery Police Department, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Montgomery County District Attorneys Office, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Covenant Rescue Group conducted the operation. Suspects allegedly used social media and other online services to contact minors for sex.
Results of the effort were announced at a Monday afternoon news conference.
“We are not only talking about people who live here, we are talking about people coming here to prey on our young people,” said Sheriff Derrick Cunningham. “We in law enforcement are sick and tired of it, and our message is, ‘No. No. No.”
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One of those charged is from New York, one is from Atlanta and one is from Louisiana, reports show.
Cunningham called the operation a “sting,” where suspects allegedly contacted what they thought were minors and then traveled Montgomery to carry out unlawful sex acts.
“This type of effort, these type of results happen when all of us work together to make this city, and make this area safer,” said Interim Montgomery Police Chief Jim Graboys.
Richerson said a similar operation eight months ago netted 15 people arrested on similar charges. District Attorney Daryl Bailey more operations may be conducted in the future. “Let’s be clear, these were grown, adult men going to hotels to have sex with children,” he said.
Those arrested and charged are:
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Chen Dai Xing, 45, New Albany, N.Y., Human trafficking (Attempt), electronic solicitation of a child and traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sex act.
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Subin Choi, 34, Atlanta, Human trafficking (Attempt), electronic solicitation of a child and traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sex act.
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James Clifford Grier, 44, Montgomery, Human trafficking (Attempt), electronic solicitation of a child and traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sex act.
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Michael Lynn Hester, 54, Montgomery, Human trafficking (Attempt), electronic solicitation of a child, traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sex act and attempting to elude police officers.
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James LeGregory McGhee, 47, Montgomery, Human trafficking (Attempt), electronic solicitation of a child and traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sex act.
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William Robert Ogburn Jr., 44, Montgomery, Human trafficking (Attempt), electronic solicitation of a child and traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sex act.
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Ryan Christian Rhodes, 26, Tallassee, Electronic solicitation of a child, traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sex act and resisting arrest.
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Justin Gregory Tomberlin, 36, Deatsville, Human trafficking (Attempt), electronic solicitation of a child and traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sex act.
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Joseph Carroll Vasseur III, 38, Opelousas, La., Human trafficking (Attempt), electronic solicitation of a child and traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sex act.
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Owen Delma Walker, 57, Montgomery, Human trafficking (Attempt), electronic solicitation of a child and traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sex act.
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Qu’Darrius D’Arcy Ja’Quan White, 24, Montgomery, Human trafficking (Attempt), electronic solicitation of a child and traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sex act.
Rhodes, the former state trooper, is not facing attempting human trafficking charges. His alleged actions as part of the operation did not meet the legal requirements to be charged with that crime, Richerson said. He was not given any preferential treatment because he was a law enforcement officer, he said.
“We target criminals,” Richerson said. “If they commit crimes we are going to arrest them.”
Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Former Alabama state trooper, 10 others face child sex charges
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