Twenty men were arrested by Johnson County law enforcement during a three-day child sex sting operation, Sheriff Duane Burgess announced Friday.
The operation, which took place from Tuesday to Thursday, was a collaboration between the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and the Franklin Police Department. It was the fourth operation of its kind to take place in Johnson County over the last 2.5 years, Burgess and Franklin Police Chief Kirby Cochran said in a news release.
Men as young as 21 and as old as 64 were arrested in the operation, the largest operation of its kind to date with 20 arrests.
Online conversations law enforcement had with suspects prior to arriving at the target location were very troubling. officials said. The requests made to investigators who were posing as underage children were disturbing, officials said.
Those targeted in the sting operation brought different items to the meeting location, with items ranging from alcoholic beverages to illegal narcotics to firearms. Some of the suspects traveled great distances to hoping to meet and have sexual encounters with a minor. Three men arrested came from states away, including those with home addresses in Alabama, Washington and West Virginia, the news release said.
Some used a car service to get to the location, others wanted the minor to leave and go somewhere else to have a sexual encounter, officials say.
“We will never know the true extent or impact these investigations have on the safety of our children,” Burgess and Cochran said. “Knowingly meeting with a minor and wanting to take that minor away from their home travel miles away scares all of us.”
Law enforcement officials encourage parents to be diligent in knowing what their children are doing and who they are speaking with on the internet. The number of online apps and what can be discussed within them is very alarming, officials said.
“There are people who prey on our children every day,” officials said. “We must be vigilant in knowing who is communicating with them.”
Both Burgess and Cochran said their agencies will continue to conduct these types of operations. The first operation in December 2020 resulted in 10 arrests, an operation in April 2021 resulted in eight arrests, and an operation in May resulted in 11 arrests, according to the news release.
All of the information collected in the operation will be turned over to the Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office to review before formal charges are filed, according to the news release.
SUSPECTS, CHARGES
The following men were arrested during the child solicitation sting:
Mark Alan Adams, 59, of Cross Plains; child solicitation, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and making an unlawful proposition. Bonded out of jail.
Jeffery Dylan Alford, 26, of Greenwood; child solicitation, possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia. Bonded out of jail.
Philip Michael Buhrke, 26, of Indianapolis; child solicitation, dissemination of harmful material to a minor. Bonded out of jail.
Ryan Alan Browning, 34, of Harts, W.Va.; child solicitation, possession of child pornography. Remains at jail.
Samuel Ernestro Severino Cabrera, 24, of Indianapolis; child solicitation, making an unlawful proposition. Remains at jail.
Brallan Campos-Acevedo, 22, of Indianapolis; child solicitation, making an unlawful proposition. Bonded out of jail.
Jonathan Tyler Evans, 36, of Pisgah, Ala.; child solicitation and posession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia. Remains at jail.
Calvin Michael Farris, 37, of Richland, Wash.; child solicitation, dissemination of harmful material to a minor. Bonded out of jail.
Jeffrey A. Hance, 64, of Mooresville; child solicitation, criminal mischief, resisting law enforcement using a vehicle and prositution. Bonded out of jail.
Zacariah Ray Hart, 43, of Indianapolis; child solicitation, possession of a syringe. Remains at jail.
Nicholas T. Hubbard, 23, of Indianapolis; child solicitation. Remains at jail.
Eric N. Johnson, 38, of Noblesville; child solicitation, dissemination of harmful material to a minor. Remains at jail.
Thian Lian, 27, of Indianapolis; child solicitation, making an unlawful proposition. Bonded out of jail.
James T. Miller, 28, of Indianapolis; child solicitation. Bonded out of jail.
Max Joseph Miller, 25, of Indianapolis; child solicitation. Bonded out of jail.
Jonathan D. Morales, 31, of Indianapolis; child solicitation, driving while suspended with a prior conviction. Bonded out of jail.
Jered S. Morgan, 22, of Monrovia; child solicitation. Bonded out of jail.
Helly Cananl Sang, 21, of Indianapolis; child solicitation. Bonded out of jail.
Za Thio, 36, of Indianapolis; child solicitation, making an unlawful proposition. Remains at jail.
Christopher Greg Wilson, 37, of Columbus; child solicitation. Bonded out of jail.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story misidentified one of the men charged in the sex sting. The story was updated on Nov. 13, following a correction issued by the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. The press release JSCO issued on the sting on Nov. 4 misidentified Thiang Za Lian, 21, of Indianapolis as being part of the sting. For more information on the correction visit this link. This version has been updated to show the person arrested was actually Thian Lian, 27, of Indianapolis.
