The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a 37-year-old man following a targeted undercover operation aimed at combating online child exploitation.
According to authorities, detectives from the Sheriff’s Human Exploitation and Recovery Operations (H.E.R.O.) team conducted a sting on Thursday targeting individuals attempting to exploit children online. Investigators allege that Ivan Cruz used a social media platform to initiate contact with and attempt to lure someone he believed to be a 14-year-old child.
Cruz reportedly arranged to meet the minor at a local park with the intent to engage in sexual conduct. Authorities also accused him of encouraging the use of illicit narcotics and bringing controlled substances to the planned encounter.
Cruz was taken into custody at the scene without incident and transported to the Washoe County Detention Facility. He now faces multiple felony charges, including attempted statutory sexual seduction by a person over 21, attempted kidnapping of a minor, eight counts of attempted sexual abuse of a child, luring a child with use of a computer, attempted use of a minor as the subject of a sexual portrayal in a performance, possession of a controlled substance, attempted contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
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