Location: Tulare County

Incident Date: 10/5/20

City: Tulare County

Posted by: Media Relations

The Tulare County Sheriff's Office wrapped up a two-month investigation targeting online predators.

During “Operation Safe Teen”, Detectives with the Special Victims Unit and Human Trafficking Unit created numerous fake social media accounts, posing as a 14-year-old girl and a 15 to 17-year-old old boy. During the investigation, numerous men tried to solicit our decoys and sent explicit pictures to them.

Over the weekend, TCSO Detectives, along with the Visalia Police Department and the Avenal Police Department, conducted an undercover operation similar to "Catch a Predator" at a home in Tulare County. During the two-day operation, they arrested 13 men from around Tulare County who offered money and gifts to our decoys. The suspects used pedophile grooming techniques to arrange to meet up and have sex with our undercover decoys. All 13 men arrived at the home thinking they were meeting with the teenager, only to be met by law enforcement officers.

Although all 13 men were arrested and booked into the Tulare County Adult Pre-Trial Facility on felony charges, due to the mandatory zero-bail system, ten of those men were released shortly after their arrest.

The following men were arrested:

Adam Lathrum?, 25

Andres Duenas?, 34?

Alberto Falcon Leiva?, 52 ?

Jorge Rojas?, 34?

Roger Garcia?, 21

Usiel Rebolledo?, 41?

Fernando Jiron-Magana?, 45

Fernandon Campos?, 43

Alvino Rivera?, 22?

Kyle Adams?, 27

Jesus Gomez?, 23?

David Safrazian, 24

Chris Harrell?, 43

Anyone with information on crimes against child is encouraged to contact the Tulare County Sheriff's Office at (559)733-6218. Or they can remain anonymous by calling or texting (559)725-4194 or through email at tcso@tipnow.com.