by GRANT COUNTY, Ind. — Five guys were arrested in Grant County on charges of trying to get children to talk to them.
In a news release, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office said that the following people were arrested by them and the Marion Police Department:
- 28-year-old Isaiah Frye of Loogootee
- 42-year-old Johnathan Sasser of Anderson
- 39-year-old Joshua Stephen Keck of Frankton
- 38-year-old Teddy Lunceford of Elkhart
- 35-year-old Raul Escribano of Marion
Everyone who was arrested is being charged with child soliciting. Sex with a child is a Level 5 Felony in Indiana. In Indiana, the harshest punishment for a Level 5 Felony is up to 6 years in jail and a $10,000 fine.
With help from Predator Catchers Inc., GCSO and MPD made the charges. Police said that Predator Catchers Inc. was a “civilian organization whose main goal is to expose people who are trying to exploit minors online.”
Predator Catchers Inc. pretended to be a 13-year-old girl when they talked to the people who were arrested online. Predator Catchers Inc. suggested getting together with the people who were arrested while pretending to be 13 years old.
When the people who were arrested showed up at the planned meeting places, Predator Catchers Inc. called the police.
“Keeping our kids safe is one of the most important jobs we have,” Grant County Sheriff Del Garcia said in a written statement. Because our deputies responded quickly, the Marion Police Department worked hard, and Predator Catchers Inc. sent out a warning, these people were caught before they could do any harm. We will keep going after people who try to take advantage of children and hold them responsible.
At the time this story was written, there was no more information available about the people who were arrested or the operations that were used to catch them.
