CHANDLER, Ariz. — A three-week-long Valley-wide operation between multiple law enforcement agencies led to 17 arrests in three days by the Chandler Police Department.
The operation targeted online adult predators who were seeking to engage in illicit acts with children in the City of Chandler, authorities said.
It aimed to identify and arrest predators, and deter illegal sex-crimes during one of the Valley's busiest times of the year.
"Events such as the Super Bowl, Waste Management Phoenix Open, and the Barret-Jackson Auto Auction draw large crowds of people from across the nation and can create a bigger market for human sex trafficking-related activities," the Chandler Police Department said.
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Alongside the Gilbert, Mesa, and Glendale Police Departments, the Arizona Attorney General's Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, over 70 law enforcement officers and professional staff worked to make the arrests.
Ultimately, the combined effort led to 17 suspects being arrested, accused of a total of 43 sex-related felony crimes, police said. Three firearms and various drugs were also seized.
Chandler Police released the following names of the people arrested: Jacob Green, Kyle Cornelius, Steven Binford, Albert Ahumada, Jorge Amezquita, Zachary Hortel, James Marshall, Alberto Cortes, Austin Graybill, Christopher Lackhan, Mario Macias, Omar Miranda Vera, Patrick Matzke, "Juan" Martin Dominguez, Michael Turner, Robert Spankle, Keith William Jackson.
Police did not release details about the exact charges these men are facing, or how they were arrested.
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