“With the internet and social media, predators can approach children without a parent or guardian knowing. We must assist our youngest citizens in growing up in a healthy environment so they become positive, productive adults without suffering the harms of being violated. We applaud law enforcement efforts to stop those who prey on children.”
CSLEA President Alan Barcelona
FRESNO — Nineteen suspects were arrested as part of a three-day multiagency operation that targeted child predators in Kings County. Operation “White Elephant” targeted adults seeking to sexually exploit children and victims of sex trafficking, using undercover agents and detectives posing as minors offering sex for pay on applications and websites commonly used by predators.
The operation, which was conducted November 29 – December 1, 2023, included special agents from the California Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Bureau of Investigation, the Human Trafficking and Sexual Predator Apprehension Team, along with the agents, officers and deputies from Kings County Sheriff’s Office, Department of Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hanford Police Department, Lemoore Police Department, and Corcoran Police Department.
During the operation, investigators spoke to numerous individuals through Internet sites and mobile applications known to foster this activity. Through those conversations, several people arranged to meet in order to pay for sex, receive money for sex, meet with underage girls and boys for sex, and arrange for underage girls to enter Human Trafficking.
On its Facebook page the Kings County Sheriff’s Office announced the following names of those arrested:
- Jose Figueroa Laredo, 29 years old, was arrested for PC 288.3, PC 288.4
- Jose Leon Martinez, 25 years old, was arrested for PC 288.3, PC 288.4
- Raul Carrillo Flores, 38 years old, was arrested for PC 288.3, PC 288.4
- Andrew Prieto, 26 years old, was arrested for PC 288.3, PC 288.4
- Elijah Perez, 22 years old, was arrested for PC 288.3, PC 288.4
- Isaac Martinez, 29 years old, was arrested for PC 288.3, PC 288.4
- Jose Jimenez Munoz, 34 years old, was arrested for PC 288.2, PC 288.3, PC 288.4,
- Benustiano Martinez Ceja, 30 years old, was arrested for PC 288.3, PC 288.4(b)
- Leyser Padilla Galicia, 30 years old, was arrested for PC 288.3, PC 288.4
- Jose Garcia, 32 years old, was arrested for PC 288.3(a), PC 288.2(a)(2)
- Ernesto Castro, 29 years old, was arrested for PC 288.3, PC 288.4
- Joshua Wilkinson, 35 years old, was arrested for PC 288(a), PC 288(b)(1), PC 288(c)(1), PC 289(a)(1)(A), PC 289(a)(1)(B), PC 289(a)(1)(C), PC 261(a)(2), PC 269(a)(1), PC 269(a)(4), PC 269(a)(5), PC 287a(C)(1), PC 287a(C)(2)(B)
- Andrew Orosco, 24 years old, was arrested for PC 288.4
- Anthony Baffo, 47 years old, was arrested for PC 288.2, PC 288.3, PC 288.4, PC 311.4
- Cody Mendes, 30 years old, was arrested for PC 288.3, PC 288.4
- Juan Vasquez, 30 years old, was arrested for PC 288.3, PC 288.4
- David Serrato, 35 years old, was arrested for PC 288.3, PC 288.4
The suspects were booked into the Kings County and Tulare County Jails on the charges of Penal Code (PC) 288.2(a)(2)-sending harmful material to seduce a minor, PC 288.3-communicating with a minor for the purposes of sex, PC 288.4-meeting with a minor for the purpose of sex and PC 311.4(b)-enticing a minor to produce pornography. The Kings County and Tulare County District Attorney’s Offices will be prosecuting the cases.
