Howard County sting operation leads to multiple arrests for sexual solicitation of a minor

Five men were arrested and charged with sexual solicitation of a minor after a sting operation in Howard County, according to police.

Andrew Scott Kraemer, 35, of Pasadena; Logan Proctor Ehren, 32, of Ft. Meade; Santos Alexi Andrade Maltez, 34, of Germantown; William Rodney Moser, 29, of Rocky Ridge; and Madushanka Wijesuriya Arachchige-Don, 29, of Frederick were arrested and charged during the operation in early May.

If convicted, the maximum sentence is 10 years behind bars and/or a $25,000 fine.

Kraemer, Andrade-Maltez, and Arachchige-Don are being held without bond until their next court appearances. Ehren posted bond, and Moser was released on his own recognizance.

Howard County sting nabs suspected predators

The Howard County Police Department said detectives posed as young girls on popular apps and forums, trying to speak with suspected predators. 

After conversations that ranged from a few hours to a few days, the men agreed to meet up with someone they thought was a young girl. Instead, they were arrested by Howard County Police.

"Don't come to Howard County to do this," said Howard County Police spokesperson Seth Hoffman. "You may be talking to a police officer; you may get arrested."

Hoffman called this a proactive approach and said the Vice and Narcotics Unit within the department is constantly monitoring websites and apps where these types of conversations happen.

"They're interacting with each of these people individually, and so over the course of the interaction, when they learn that they want to meet up with the child," Hoffman said. "That's when the operation kind of goes into full force."

Suspects allegedly used apps to lure a teen

According to court documents, the suspects were trying to communicate with a girl they thought was 14 years old on websites and other apps, which include SkipTheGames, MeetMe, and Skout.

In one case, detectives posted a fake advertisement on SkipTheGames, a popular escort website, for multiple sexual activities with various prices. 

In court records, Ehren requested a quick visit from a user who said she was not available, but that her younger sister could meet him. Ehren indicated he was "not into them that young" and thought it could be part of a sting operation. Hours later, he messaged again asking to meet up with the user's sister and have sex with her.

After sending a location to meet up, police arrested Ehren and recovered his phone, cash, and a condom. He also told investigators he was in custody for soliciting a prostitute. He posted bond and was released.

On MeetMe, Andrade-Maltez thought he was speaking with a 14-year-old girl named Sofia. Investigators said conversations quickly moved to text messages and Snapchat, where the suspect said he wanted to meet the teen and kept asking for an address.

He sent her sexual videos and said he wanted to have sex with her. Andrade-Maltez was later arrested at the agreed-upon meet-up location after a brief foot pursuit. He is being held without bond.

The same "Sofia" profile on MeetMe was messaged by Kramer, who said he thought the girl was older, but that there was nothing wrong with being friends. The conversation then escalated, and he said he could be her boyfriend, according to court records.

They agreed to meet in person, and Kramer was arrested without incident. Investigators say they recovered a phone, tablet, and a gun from his vehicle. He's being held without bond.

Court records say the same profile was used to target Moser on MeetMe. He indicated he was not trying to "catch a charge" when the user said she was 14. He also sent her sexual images, according to court records.

After arriving at the agreed meeting spot, he said he felt like he was being set up. Later, officers responded and arrested him. He was released on his own recognizance.

Arachchige-Don was targeted by detectives on Skout, where he thought he was speaking to a 14-year-old girl. Court documents showed that their conversation quickly moved to text messages and escalated. He indicated he wanted to have sex with the young girl and watch her shower. He also sent sexually suggestive images.

He was placed under arrest after arriving at the agreed meeting location. He is being held without bond.

Parents react to predator sting

Parents told CBS News Baltimore they are grateful the police department is working proactively to protect young people here.

"You hear all this stuff about what kids are having to deal with them, like social media and harassment, and you know, predators, and all that kind of thing, and to me it's just gotten out of hand, and I'm glad that they're on the job," Columbia resident Sean Bauer said.

To protect their kids, some parents said they set time limits for phones and other devices because they never know who could try to connect with young people online.

"I lock down everything. They have no access, so I'm pretty strict about that," said Ellicott City resident Rebecca Logan. "People are weird, but this world is out of control right now. So, anything I can do to keep my kids safe, I'm going to do."

Advocacy group shares warning signs of sexual crime victims

TurnAround, Inc. is an advocacy group for adults and young people who are victims of sexual crimes. 

The organization said it's important to watch for signs of grooming, such as if your child has large sums of money, their behavior or school performance drastically changes and if they try to run away.

Most importantly, the organization said to have honest conversations with children.

"We can't be scared that they're going to then be exposed because we've somehow brought it into their world. The reality is it's already there," said Amanda Rodriguez, the CEO of TurnAround, Inc. "We need to be an active participant in their growing experience and make sure that they have access to the information that they need to keep themselves safe."

The organization said it is also important to monitor adults if they are showing signs of predatory behavior. That can include trying to be alone with young people, speaking to children like peers, and becoming extremely well-versed in elements of pop culture that young people are interested in.