FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — Ten online predators have been arrested in Fairfax County after a three-day sting operation where police say they were caught trying to have sexual interactions with minors.
Officers with the Fairfax County Police Department announced in a news conference on Thursday that they had a bold crackdown with "Operation Adult Detention Center Express 2." The sting started on Dec. 18, and in each case, the offenders used internet platforms to start sexually related conversations with people they thought were minors.
Detectives posed as 13- and 14-year-old boys and girls, making it explicitly clear while undercover that they were minors. The 10 offenders arrived in Fairfax County with the intention of committing a sex act with the minor, police said, but were instead greeted by Child Exploitation Unit (CEXU) detectives and Street Crimes detectives waiting for them. One of the suspects was even from Qatar, where he is a journalist.
The men were changed with a total of 25 felonies, and are being held at the Adult Detention Center on no bond. Here's their details:
- Michael Flannery, 33, of Winchester was arrested and charged with attempted indecent liberties and computer-solicitation of child under 15-years-old.
- Casto Ian Unson III, 35, of Vienna was arrested and charged with attempted indecent liberties and computer-solicitation of child under 15-years-old.
- Ravi Vongavolu, 24, of Herndon was arrested and charged with attempted indecent liberties and computer-solicitation of child under 15-years-old.
- Rabiul Islam, 44, of Arlington was arrested and charged with attempted indecent liberties and computer-solicitation of child under 15-years-old and attempted production of CSAM.
- Osman Aslan, 30, of Vienna was arrested and charged with attempted indecent liberties and computer-solicitation of child under 15-years-old.
- Estuardo Orozco Orozco, 27, of Falls Church was arrested and charged with computer-solicitation of child under 15-years-old.
- Mohamed Elnefili, 38, of Qatar was arrested and charged with attempted indecent liberties and computer-solicitation of child under 15-years-old. He was currently staying in Springfield at the time of his arrest.
- Roy Hayes, 22 of Herndon was arrested and charged with attempted indecent liberties and computer-solicitation of child under 15-years-old.
- Imran Ahmad, 42, of Ashburn was arrested and charged with attempted indecent liberties and computer-solicitation of child under 15-years-old.
- Bassem Karam, 36, of Herndon was arrested and charged with attempted indecent liberties and computer-solicitation of child under 15-years-old.
"This is not a perfect analogy, but every time we go out and conduct a DUI checkpoint, I'm hoping that our police officers come back with goose eggs -- zero. I don't want to catch drunk drivers because I don't want anyone to drive drunk, but they do," Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said. "The same kind of goes for an operation like this. In spite of our best efforts to help educate the community, parents -- we are really intentional on how we interact with these criminal suspects -- we tell them we are children, we tell them our age, yet they still solicit sex acts with minors. I wish they didn't, but they do. That's why one of our 2024 resolutions is to conduct more operations."
The police department wants to remind parents to closely monitor their children's online activities and use available security settings to prevent the use of inappropriate sites or platforms. Children should be encouraged to report any person engaging in inappropriate conversations or trying to get them to provide sexually explicit images of themselves. Click here for additional internet safety information provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Detectives are asking anyone with information regarding these incidents or others with a similar nexus to call our Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 6. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
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