22 arrested in underage sex sting, Lexington County sheriff says
The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department announced that 22 men have been arrested while trying to meet up with underage teens for sex.
But there were never any children involved. The defendants were actually messaging investigators over social media, and when they asked to meet up with the “teen,” they found law enforcement was waiting at the agreed upon location.
The individuals were arrested and charged as part of “Operation Sheepdog,” an ongoing operation against online sexual predators. Thirty-three men have been arrested and charged so far as part of the multi-agency effort, which is being spearheaded by the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, Lexington Police Department, and the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office.
“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,” said Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon.
The operation was conducted alongside the state’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, Naval Criminal Investigations Service and over a dozen other local and federal law enforcement agencies.
“Without strong relationships between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, operations like this would not be possible,” Koon said.
The initial 11 arrests from Operation Sheepdog were announced in May. While the majority of the individuals arrested and charged as part of the operation come from South Carolina, the sting also ensnared accused predators from New York, New Jersey, and Florida. The out of state individuals have since been extradited to South Carolina, where they have been charged, said the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.
“It’s important for parents to know who their children are communicating with online because sexual predators are looking for opportunities to exploit them,” Koon said.
This story was originally published September 2, 2022 at 5:00 AM.