EDMONDS — Twenty-one individuals were taken into custody in Snohomish County over the last week during a multi-agency operation dubbed “Operation Guardian,” for allegedly sexually abusing and exploiting children, the Washington State Patrol announced in a news release Tuesday. Operation Guardian was spearheaded by the WSP’s Missing and Exploited Children Task Force (MECTF), a Washington State Internet Crimes Against Children affiliate.
“Our detectives worked tirelessly with our local and federal partners to identify and arrest those who prey on the most vulnerable in our community,” Chief John Batiste of the Washington State Patrol said. “Protecting children from exploitation is one of the most important responsibilities we have as law enforcement officers, and we will continue to pursue these offenders relentlessly.”
The collaborative effort that led to the arrests involved more than 30 law enforcement agencies, agents and staff. Those agencies included the Washington State Patrol; the Edmonds, Bothell, Everett, Fife, Kirkland, Lakewood, Lake Stevens, Lynnwood, Marysville, Mountlake Terrace, Monroe, Mukilteo, Othello, Puyallup, Redmond, Renton, Seattle, Tacoma and Washougal police departments; the Chelan, Kittitas, Pierce, Snohomish and Stevens county sheriff’s offices; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Homeland Security Investigations; the Washington State Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force; the Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office; and the Washington State Department of Corrections.
Assistant Chief Josh McClure of the Edmonds Police Department said his department served as the base for Operation Guardian.
“It has been our privilege to support this operation and the Task Force’s dedicated efforts to prevent child victimization in and around Edmonds,” McClure said. “This was an extraordinary demonstration of collaborative, mission-focused public safety.”
The individuals taken into custody were:
- Remington LE, 23, of Lake Stevens, Wash.
- Guillermo MEJIAN PEREZ, 22, of Shoreline, Wash.
- Karl WALKER, 60, of Mount Lake Terrace, Wash.
- Paul HANSEN, 65, of Kirkland, Wash.
- Angel LUNA, 63, of Mountlake Terrace, Wash.
- Jose ANAYA BELTRAN, 37, of Lynnwood, Wash.
- Hector MARROQUIN HERRERA, 31, of Lynnwood, Wash.
- Ishan BUDHATHOKI, 28, of Seattle, Wash.
- Carlos LARA MADRIGALES, 34, of Mountlake Terrace, Wash.
- Humberto HERNANDEZ-HERNANDEZ, 38, of Lynnwood, Wash.
- Jimy DE PAZ PEREZ, 24, of Burien, Wash.
- Hector GALVEZ QUEVEDO, 44, of Shoreline, Wash.
- Daniel MARTINEZ, 52, of El Paso, Texas
- Antonio YEPES PONCE, 37, of Zapotitlan De Vadillo, Mexico
- Seyram DOGBEY, 32, of Ridgeland, Miss.
- Nicholas DALE, 30, of Lynnwood, Wash.
- Hanzel PANINGBATAN, 38, of Everett, Wash.
- Dillon WADE, 28, of Arlington, Wash.
- Anthony MORALES VELASCO, 28, of Glennwood, Wash.
- Asim BERA, 56, of Seattle, Wash.
- Benjamin LOPEZ SANCHEZ, 28, of Tacoma, Wash.
Alleged crimes of those arrested have been charged with during the operation include:
- RCW 9A.44.073 – Rape of a child in the first-degree – attempt
- RCW 9A.44.076 – Rape of a child in the second degree – attempt
- RCW 9.68A.090 – Commercial Sexual Abuse of a Minor
- RCW 9A.68A.100 – Communication with a minor for immoral purposes
- RCW 9.68A.040 – Sexual Exploitation of a minor
- RCW 9.41.040 – Unlawful Possession of a Firearm
Additional charges filed against some of the alleged child predators include CONT SUB-DISTRIB NARC-METH-FLN TO MINOR.
The Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office will review the cases to determine which criminal charges will be filed. Anyone with information related to the suspects or leading to the identity of potential victims is asked to contact MECTF at metcf@wsp.wa.gov.
MECTF has conducted operations since its first one in August 2015. Those efforts have resulted in nearly 400 arrests and the removal of numerous children from danger across the state, the release said. MECTF is a state law enforcement agency governed by RCW 13.60.110.
Tips for Parents
- Know where your children are at all times
- Know your children’s friends, their parents, addresses, and all phone numbers
- Be alert to teens and/or other adults over-interested in your children
- Teach your children to trust their feelings – it’s okay to say NO
- Be careful when choosing providers for your children
- Be involved and spend time with your children when they are online
- Never give out personal information in chat rooms or forums
- Tell your children to let you know when they receive obscene or suggestive messages
Author: Mario Lotmore
