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TURLOCK, Calif. – A California man, who at the time of his arrest was the director of an LGBT resource center in Modesto, California, was taken into custody earlier this month as part of an online sting targeting child sex predators, according to reports.
The Turlock Police Department spearheaded the joint operation with other law enforcement agencies that netted 17 male suspects ranging in age from 19 to 54. CBS News listed the names of individuals who were arrested as follows:
Antoni Shahbaz Yangejeh, 35, of Turlock
Juan Viera, Jr., 29, of Modesto
Fernando De La Cruz Martinez, 36 of Elverta
Devin Greer Dacanay, 22, of Turlock
Aaron Doub, 41, of Turlock
Justin Velez, 37, of Modesto
Mario de Jesus, 37, of Turlock
Armando Cardenas, 32, of Atwater
Leopoldo Garcia Aquino, 25, of Livingston
Salvador Nunez, 28, of Turlock
Cesar Linarez, Jr., 25, of Modesto
Bryce Wilkinson, 19, of Modesto
Gerad Slayton, 42, of Modesto
Jose Herrera Sanchez, 54, of Stevenson
Andrew Godinez, 21, of Delhi
Jesus Cerna Bernabe, 29, of Newman
Anthony Morrisette, 41, of Oakdale
One of the individuals who was taken into was identified as 42-year-old Gerad Slayton, according to the news outlet.
At the time of Slayton’s arrest, he worked as the executive director of the Rainbow Resource Center, which provides mental health and other services to LGBT individuals, according to the San Joaquin Valley Sun.
Slatyon began working at the center in 2022 and was appointed as the director late last year, the Sun reported.
Slayton was criminally charged with contacting a minor with the intent to have sex and arranging to meet a minor for sex. He was booked at the Stanislaus County Jail and his bail was set at $250,000, according to KCRA-TV.
BREAKING: Gerad Slayton, Executive Director of an LGBTQ pride center was arrested in a child s*x sting on charges of attempting to meet a minor for lewd acts. pic.twitter.com/oUyoVdlqp0
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 17, 2024
On Jan. 8, the Turlock Police Department provided the following details in a press release:
On January 5th and 6th, 2024, the Turlock Police Department conducted an online chat operation in the city of Turlock. The mission of this operation was to catch predators that were seeking to meet with underaged children for the purpose of sexual activity. This operation was complex in nature and involved the coordinated effort of multiple agencies and various police department units.
With the support of the Sacramento Valley Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office Special Victim’s Unit (SVU), State Parole, and Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office Special Victim’s Unit (SVU), officials were able to successfully arrest seventeen individuals on several felony sex-related charges. Twelve of the arrestees were local, while the remaining five were out of county residents, traveling as far as Elverta, CA. All individuals were booked into the Stanislaus County Jail with majority being held on a $500,000 bail.
Turlock Police Chief Jason Hedden said, “This operation was the culmination of months of planning by the Turlock Police Department and cooperating agencies. I am proud of Detective Gina Giovacchini and our team for their efforts to intercept those looking to harm children in our community.”
“This problem isn’t going away,” Sgt. Amar Gandhi with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office told CBS. “While 17 arrests are very significant, it’s a drop in the bucket.
The Rainbow Resource Center said in a Jan. 17 news release that Slayton is no longer employed with the organization, the Western Journal reported.
The press statement said the allegations against Slayton “occurred off-site, outside of working hours, and not while performing work-related duties.”
Continuing, the statement said, “Mr. Slayton’s actions do not represent our organization’s values or mission. Following our unwavering commitment to upholding the highest standards of conduct and integrity, we have addressed the issue.”
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