Twenty men and one woman have been arrested as part of the Washington State Patrol’s latest effort to prevent child rape.
For nearly two weeks, South Sound suspects who thought they were meeting to have sex with children were instead arrested byWSP detectives, local police officers, sheriff’s deputies and agents from the FBI.
Most of those arrested have already appeared in Thurston County Superior Court and had bail set between $40,000 and $500,000 depending on their criminal backgrounds.
On Tuesday, bail for 52-year-old Kris Bennett of Puyallup was set at $1 million, citing concerns for public safety.
According to Lt Mike Eggleston, commander of the WSP’s Missing and Exploited Children Task Force (MECTF), Bennett was enticed to Thurston County by the same Craigslist ad that allegedly lured at least 20-others: the promise of sex with two young girls and their 13-year old brother.
According to court documents, Bennett texted in graphic detail his plans for raping the fictional 6 and 11-year old girls; part of the reason Judge James Dixon set an exceptionally high bail. “This court has a duty to protect the citizens of this community,” Dixon said at Bennett’s bail hearing.
The Craigslist Ad – made to look like it was written by a mother offering sex with her three children --- was placed by detectives with the MECTF, a multi-agency effort that has conducted five similar stings all over the state in the past year. Called Net Nanny Operations, this most recent resulted in the most arrests.
“This is the more demented of the group of people that we’re looking for,” Lt. Eggleston told KIRO 7. “Their moral compass is more afoul and they have an addiction or an infliction where they want to go have sex with kids,” he said. Eggleston and Task Force members believe, if suspects like the 21 arrested are not found and detained, they will rape children, if they haven’t already.
Bennett has also been charged with possession child pornography in King County. He was awaiting trial when he was arrested.
The following people were arrested:
- Leslie Joe Vopat: Probable cause of commercial sexual abuse of a minor and attempted rape of a child in the second degree.
- John Stephen Moore: Probable cause of commercial sexual abuse of a minor and attempted rape of a child in the second degree.
- Michael Paul Haxton: Probable cause for attempted rape of a child in the first degree and attempted rape of a child in the second degree.
- Steve Wayne Wolsieffer: Probable cause for attempted rape of a child in the first degree, communication with a minor for immoral purposes.
- Adam Joseph Persell: Probable cause for attempted rape of a child in the first degree - 2 counts, and attempted rape of a child in the second degree.
- Ezra Danilo Wright: Probable cause of attempted rape of a child in the first degree.
- Arthur David Fowler: Probable cause of attempted rape of a child in the second degree.
- Dale Maurice Olea: Probable cause for attempted rape of a child in the third degree.
- Nathan Bill Wiggs: Probable cause for attempted rape of a child in the first degree.
- Joseph Michael Schonek: Probable cause for attempted rape of a child in the first degree, attempted rape of a child in the second degree and unlawful possession of a controlled substance-methamphetamine.
- Nathan Ahman Vahanian: Probable cause of attempted rape of child in the first degree-2 counts, and possession of depictions of minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
- Jennifer Graen: Held on $150,000 for allegedly dealing in depictions, possession of depictions and sexual exploitation of a minor in Grays Harbor County.
- Antaeus Laurent Clark: Probable cause for attempted rape of a child in the first degree, attempted rape of a child in the second degree and commercial sexual abuse of a minor.
- Troy Eugene Dubes: Probable cause of attempted rape of a child in the first degree, attempted rape of a child in the second degree, and commercial sexual abuse of a minor
- Bryant Earle Glant: Probable cause of attempted rape of a child in the first degree -2 counts.
- Kyle Jackson: Probable cause of attempted rape of a child first degree and attempted rape of a child second degree.
- Douglas D Pressley: Probable cause of attempted rape of a child in the first degree – 2 counts and attempted rape of a child in the second degree.
- Daniel John Masters: Probable cause of attempted rape of a child in the first degree.
- Gabriel Augusto Garcia: Probable cause of attempted rape of a child in the first degree, and attempted communication with a minor for immoral purposes.
- Michael Sifre: Apprehension of soldier, Army CID
- Kris K. Bennett- Arrested for attempt of rape of a child first-degree and attempt rape of a child second degree.
Cox Media Group
