Duane Burgess, sheriff of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, has announced that 10 people have been arrested as part of a child solicitation investigation, “Operation Firewall.”
During a live news conference held this morning, Burgess said nine of those arrests were for child solicitation after all nine people showed up at a house in Greenwood to have sex with someone who they thought was an underage female. One of the individuals lives in Johnson County.
Those arrested include Preston Miles Carpenter, 24, of Greenwood; Robert O. Bland, 29; Fredy Berlamino Perez-Baten, 36, and Jason M. Cleveland, 24, all of Indianapolis; John David Kent, 57, of Martinsville; Michael D. Gaiski, 62, of Morristown; Gregory M. Stennett, 37, of Avon; Russell Burke, 58, of Frankfort; and John R. Dulin, 46, or Kirklin.
The operation was a collaboration with the Johnson County prosecutor’s office. Investigators worked with an anti-trafficking group called Covenant Rescue Group, and created a false online profile of an underage female.
During an online chat in a sex-oriented website, the decoy profile explained she was underage and discussed meeting in person.
Other charges include two for providing pornographic pictures to a minor and one for a drug arrest.
This is a developing news story.
