ELYRIA, Ohio — Seven people were arrested following a sting by the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce's "Operation Watchdog."
According to a news release from the Elyria Police Department, authorities conducted the operation between Tuesday and Thursday and "identified multiple individuals interested in engaging in sexual activity with whom they believed to be minor children."
The seven individuals, who are between 24 and 53 years old, are from Elyria, Avon Lake, Wellington, Amherst and Cleveland, the release said.
During the operation, undercover officers posed as children and spoke with the seven individuals who had "expressed an interest in engaging in sexual activity with the purported children and/or disseminated images of their genitals during these online conversations."
After those conversations, authorities said the seven traveled to pre-arranged locations to meet up with the supposed children but were met with handcuffs. All seven were taken into custody and transported to the Lorain County Jail.
Initial charges from the operation include attempting to commit an offense of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, and importuning, authorities said. Additional charges could follow once their cases are sent to a grand jury to review.
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