By admin 
YUMA, AZ (AZFamily) — Five men are behind bars following a massive child exploitation sting in the Desert Southwest, Yuma police announced Monday.
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The multiagency bust, dubbed “Operation Tear Drop,” ran throughout the weekend and exposed a widespread network of online predators.
Authorities revealed the staggering scale of the investigation, stating that at least 120 individuals attempted to engage in sexual conversations with children across various apps and websites.
“This was a coordinated, multijurisdictional investigation that focused on identifying and arresting the predators who believed they were purchasing children for sexual favors,” said Yuma Police Chief Thomas Garrity.
The five arrested suspects range in age from their 20s to their 60s. Police confirmed all five men have ties to the Yuma area.
They face charges including luring a minor for sexual exploitation and child sex trafficking. Undercover officers posing as minors intercepted the suspects online.
Investigators disclosed that more than 4,500 messages were sent back and forth during the sting. Eight agencies and nongovernmental organizations participated in the operation.
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“Their charges are based upon evidence developed during this investigation; as with all criminal cases, each defendant is presumed innocent,” Garrity said.
Yuma police announced they will not release the suspects’ mugshots at this time. While local authorities have encountered child exploitation cases in the Yuma area before, they emphasized that this is a widespread danger and urged parents to monitor closely who their children are communicating with online.
The Yuma Police Department coordinated the operation alongside Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Operations, and the Goodyear and Peoria police departments.
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