8 suspected child abusers arrested in online operation

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – At least eight suspected child abusers are behind bars and facing charges after falling into traps laid by law enforcement.

There was no danger to actual children as all of the suspects were unknowingly chatting with undercover officers.

It’s called Operation Overwatch and is a collaboration between the Albuquerque Police Department, BCSO, Santa Fe Police Department and the New Mexico Department of Corrections.

In most of these cases, investigators created fake online accounts posing as underage children. They then messaged the alleged perpetrators, eventually convincing many of them to meet and have sex with people they thought were children.

The authorities were ready to arrest the suspected perpetrators.

“The lack of understanding of child sexual exploitation and abuse online, as well as the increasing use of technology by our children and young people, has created a space in which these crimes, these criminals and these predators can thrive.” Criminals and Predators, However, those operating in this space should know that we are also in this space,” said Jason T. Stevens, assistant special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in El Paso.

While none of these cases involved real children, law enforcement leaders say these arrests likely prevented future cases of child sexual abuse, and that’s the point.

They believe these cases should remind all parents to be more careful about what their children do online.

“What we fear most is that one of these predators will slip through our net, attack a child and cause harm in unimaginable ways.” We can only stop this if active, committed parents really get involved and think carefully about what is going on digital spaces,” said Raúl Torrez, Attorney General of New Mexico.

All eight suspects are behind bars Monday night. Operation Overwatch has identified a ninth suspect, but authorities are still working to arrest him.

Here are the operation results:

Rafael Eduardo Rosas

• Charged with child solicitation and attempted sexual penetration

Jonathan M. Rodriguez

• Charged with child solicitation and attempted sexual penetration

Matthew Ray Jaramillo

• Charged with child solicitation and attempted sexual penetration

Stephen Charles Phillips

• Charged with child exploitation through prostitution and attempted sexual penetration

Mahmoud Telfah

• Charged with child solicitation and exploitation and attempted criminal sexual penetration

Samantha G Clark

• Charged with child recruitment and exploitation and attempted sexual penetration

Sean A. Rhea

• Charged with two counts of child solicitation

Jonmichael Seagroves

• Accused of child solicitation

Stephen Joseph Rittereiser

• There is an arrest warrant for him and child abuse charges are pending