A perverted California man allegedly traveled to the home of a minor he was supposed to meet up with — only to be nabbed by police officers during a wild takedown caught on camera.
The suspect was one of five arrested after a three-day undercover sting targeting people suspected of attempting to meet children online for sexual activity, the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.
The operation sought to capture suspects through undercover officers who posed as children or the children’s pimps.
Authorities said that after online conversations, the suspects arranged in-person meetings and were directed to a San Francisco home, where deputies arrested them upon arrival. The suspects allegedly contacted children through social media platforms before attempting to arrange meetings.
In the footage, one suspect can be seen walking to and entering a house sitting at an intersection before scrambling out of the front door.
Around four or five cops suddenly appear and tackle him to the ground before a stream of officers emerge from the house to apprehend the suspect.
Other suspects who showed up at the house were simply put into handcuffs once confronted, police said.
One of the alleged sickos was Reuben Teague, 50, a powerful California real estate investor. Jorge Nieto, 27, of San Francisco; Michael Pauter, 43, of San Mateo; Jhonny Rodriguez Diaz, 37, of Redwood City; and Romuald Santiago, 32, of Daly City, were also arrested.
“They came from different backgrounds and walks of life. That is an important reminder that there is no single profile of someone who commits these crimes. One of the biggest lessons from the operation is simple. You never truly know who is behind a computer screen,” San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto said.
The suspect face felony counts of meeting a minor for lewd purposes and misdemeanor counts of arranging such a meeting.
All five defendants have pled not guilty to the felony charges, according to authorities. The men remain in custody pending trial.
“Thankfully, the court has found that these individuals, like we know, are too dangerous to be among us in the community,” San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said. “We certainly moved to detain them, as we know, they pose a substantial public safety risk to our children.”
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