Authorities arrest 22 people accused of trying to pay for sex with a minor

Blaine Police said they and other law enforcement agencies arrested nearly two dozen people last week in a two-day juvenile suppression operation.

According to Blaine Police, the goal of the mission was to identify and arrest multiple people who were attempting to engage in sexual activity with a minor in exchange for money.

Officers said they posed as an underage girl and messaged more than 460 people.

Police said 22 individuals later agreed to meet at a designated location with the intent to pay someone they thought was a juvenile in exchange for sexual acts.

Instead, they were arrested by the police.

“This operation demonstrates our unwavering commitment to protecting children from exploitation,” Blaine Deputy Chief Joe Gerhard said. “We are grateful for the collaboration of our partner agencies, whose teamwork was essential to the success of this effort.”

Police said the 22 arrested people were charged with felony solicitation of a child to engage in sexual conduct, and later released with a future court date.

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