A sting operation in Garfield County involving federal, state and local law enforcement resulted in nine arrests of accused child predators.<\/p>\n
The arrests included a Glenwood Springs antiques dealer, Scott Fetzer, in a case previously reported by the Post Independent after his Thursday arrest.<\/p>\n
Working undercover in cooperation with state prosecutors and local law enforcement agencies, the Department of Homeland Security created posts online where potential predators visit to advertise sex with children, Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario told the Post Independent.<\/p>\n
From Thursday to Saturday morning, nine individuals communicated with the undercover agents and allegedly negotiated prices to purchase sex with children.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s eye opening, heartbreaking. The average person out there in the community doesn\u2019t think this happens, but it does.\u201d-Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n When the individuals showed up to allegedly engage in sex with a child, they were arrested.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s pretty graphic and disgusting,\u201d Vallario said.<\/p>\n Vallario credited Carbondale Police Chief Gene Schilling with bringing the idea up to law enforcement partners.<\/p>\n \u201cSolicitation for child prostitution is common and victimizes the most innocent and vulnerable of all, our children,\u201d Schilling said in a press release. \u201cWe are glad we were able to arrest these people before they had the chance to further their criminal actions.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s kind of a double-edged sword,\u201d Vallario said. \u201cWe\u2019re glad we can make these arrests, but we\u2019re sad this exists in the community in the first place,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n On the first night of the sting, only one person, Fetzer, showed up and was arrested.<\/p>\n Seven more suspects showed up allegedly seeking sex with children on Friday evening, and one arranged to meet Saturday morning, Vallario said.<\/p>\n Most of the nine people arrested are from Garfield County, and are being held in custody.<\/p>\n One person, Shekeyah Jackson, 26, of Aurora, is charged with prostitution and was released on a summons.<\/p>\n The sheriff\u2019s office noted that all accused persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.<\/p>\n The following eight people will be charged with soliciting for child prostitution, and are being held in the Garfield County jail, according to the sheriff\u2019s office.<\/p>\n \u2014Scott V. Fetzer, 60, of Glenwood Springs<\/p>\n \u2014Brian Alvarez, 29, of Glenwood Springs<\/p>\n \u2014Luis M. Noj-Pich, 33, of Rifle<\/p>\n \u2014Jose G. Cardenas, 39, of Rifle<\/p>\n \u2014Guillermo Carreon-Salinas, 31, of Rifle<\/p>\n \u2014Manuel Nava-Mauro, 26, of Carbondale<\/p>\n \u2014Mingma O. Sherpa, 51, of Avon<\/p>\n \u2014Jan Blewett, 35, of Crested Butte<\/p>\n Vallario said Garfield County has done similar stings in years past, and arrested some accused of seeking sex with children. Similar stings could occur at any time, Vallario added.<\/p>\n \u201cWe could do another one next week, next year, or two years down the road,\u201d Vallario said.<\/p>\n Vallario noted that while nine people were caught in this operation, an unknown number of crimes against children occur without being prosecuted.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s eye opening, heartbreaking. The average person out there in the community doesn\u2019t think this happens, but it does,\u201d Vallario said.<\/p>\n\n