WISCONSIN
WEAU
By: Mike Lopez and Jenny You
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) — Nine arrests have been made in connection to child sex crimes in the Chippewa Valley, and investigators say one of the suspects is a former youth pastor at an Eau Claire church.
The nine men were arrested Thursday and Friday through an undercover string called ‘Operation Child Safe’. It was a two-day sting conducted by 30 officers, deputies and agents from the Eau Claire County Sheriff’s Department, Eau Claire Police Department, Altoona Police Department and the state Division of Criminal Investigation.
Deputy Chief Matt Rokus with the Eau Claire Police Department said the Computer Forensics Lab at the police department was kept busy. Undercover officers posed on the other side of the internet. The suspects responded to advertisements for underage children either looking for sex or as an adult who was looking to traffic a child for sex.
Eau Claire County Sheriff Ron Cramer said the ads got more than 5,000 clicks which lead to conversations, face-to-face meetings at public spots like gas stations and ultimately brought in nine arrests.
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